cephalosporinase


cephalosporinase

 [sef″ah-lo-spor´in-ās] an enzyme that hydrolyzes the CO-NH bond in the lactam ring of cephalosporin, converting it to an inactive product.

β-lac·ta·mase

(lak'tă-mās), An enzyme produced by many species of bacteria that disrupts the four-membered β-lactam ring of penicillin and cephalosporin groups of antibiotics, destroying their antimicrobial activity. The ability of an organism to produce a β-lactamase may be chromosomal and constitutive or a plasmid-associated acquired property. Synonym(s): cephalosporinase, lactamase, penicillinase (1)