BIOCHEMICAL-PROPERTIES OF INDUCIBLE BETA-LACTAMASES PRODUCED FROM XANTHOMONAS-MALTOPHILIA

Four different beta-lactamases have been found in several strains of Xanthomonas maltophilia isolated from blood cultures during 1984 to 1991 at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. One was a metallo-beta-lactamase with predominantly penicillinase activity and an isoelectric point of 6.8. Its molecular size as determined by gel filtration was 96 kDa but was only 26 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), suggesting a tetramer of four equal subunits. The enzyme hydrolyzed all classes of beta-lactams except the monobactam aztreonam. This enzyme was not inhibited by potassium clavulanate or BRL 42715 but was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate, mercuric chloride, and EDTA. The beta-lactamase was unstable in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) but stable in 50 mM Tris HCl (pH 8.0). The other beta-lactamases focused as a series of different isoelectric points, ranging from pI 5.2 to 6.6. Together, these enzymes exhibited a broad spectrum of activity, hydrolyzing most classes of beta-lactams bat not imipenem or aztreonam. Their molecular size was 48 kDa by Sephadex gel filtration and 24 kDa by SDS-PAGE, indicating that they were enzymes consisting of two equal subunits. They were inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate, mercuric chloride, potassium clavulanate, and BRL 42715 but not EDTA. This study demonstrated that X. maltophilia produces more than just the L1 and L2 beta-lactamases.