PENICILLINASE Meaning and
Definition
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Penicillinase is an enzyme that specifically targets and breaks down penicillin antibiotics, rendering them ineffective against certain bacteria. Also known as penicillinase or beta-lactamase, this enzyme is produced by some bacteria as a defense mechanism to protect themselves against the bactericidal effects of penicillin.
The term "penicillinase" is derived from the combination of "penicillin" and "ase," indicating its role as an enzyme. This enzyme belongs to the family of beta-lactamases, which are responsible for breaking the beta-lactam ring structure present in penicillin antibiotics, thereby neutralizing their antibacterial activity.
Penicillinase can be either chromosomally or plasmid-encoded, with the latter being a more common mechanism of resistance in bacteria. This plasmid-mediated penicillinase production allows for rapid dissemination of resistance among bacterial populations, posing a significant challenge in the treatment of infectious diseases.
The presence of penicillinase in bacteria confers resistance against penicillin and certain other beta-lactam antibiotics such as ampicillin and amoxicillin. To combat this resistance mechanism, combination therapy with beta-lactamase inhibitors like clavulanic acid is often employed. These inhibitors bind to and deactivate the penicillinase enzyme, allowing the penicillin antibiotic to effectively target and eliminate the bacteria.
Understanding the mechanisms of penicillinase production and its impact on antibiotic efficacy is crucial for the development of new antibiotics and the effective treatment of bacterial infections.
Common Misspellings for PENICILLINASE
- oenicillinase
- lenicillinase
- -enicillinase
- 0enicillinase
- pwnicillinase
- psnicillinase
- pdnicillinase
- prnicillinase
- p4nicillinase
- p3nicillinase
- pebicillinase
- pemicillinase
- pejicillinase
- pehicillinase
- penucillinase
- penjcillinase
- penkcillinase
- penocillinase
- pen9cillinase
Etymology of PENICILLINASE
The word "penicillinase" is derived from two main components: "penicillin" and "-ase".
1. Penicillin: This term refers to a group of antibiotics derived from the Penicillium fungus discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928. The name "penicillin" originated from the Latin word "penicillus", meaning "brush", as the fungus was observed to have a brush-like appearance.
2. -ase: The suffix "-ase" is commonly used in biology and biochemistry to denote an enzyme. It comes from the Latin word "ases", a plural form of "as", which means "enzyme".
Combining these components, "penicillinase" refers to an enzyme that is capable of breaking down or degrading penicillin antibiotics.
Similar spelling words for PENICILLINASE
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