The evolution of cefotaximase activity in the TEM β-lactamase

The development of a molecular-level understanding of drug resistance through β-lactamase is critical not only in designing newer-generation antibacterial agents but also in providing insight into the evolutionary mechanisms of enzymes in general. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of four drug resistance mutations (A42G, E104K, G238S, and M182T) on the cefotaximase activity of the TEM-1 β-lactamase. Using computational methods, including docking and molecular mechanics calculations, we have been able to correctly identify the relative order of catalytic activities associated with these four single point mutants. Further analyses suggest that the changes in catalytic efficiency for mutant enzymes are correlated to structural changes within the binding site. Based on the energetic and structural analyses of the wild-type and mutant enzymes, structural rearrangement is suggested as a mechanism of evolution of drug resistance through TEM β-lactamase. The present study not only provides molecular-level insight into the effect of four drug resistance mutations on the structure and function of the TEM β-lactamase but also establishes a foundation for a future molecular-level analysis of complete evolutionary trajectory for this class of enzymes.