Molecular Insights on the Release of Avibactam from the Acyl-Enzyme Complex

Avibactam is a non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor for treating complicated urinary tract and respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, a serious public health threat. Despite its importance, the release mechanism of avibactam from the enzyme-inhibitor complex has been scarcely studied from first principles, considering the total protein environment. This information at the molecular level is essential for the rational design of new antibiotics and inhibitors. In this article, we addressed the release of avibactam from the complex CTX-M-15 by means of molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. This study provides molecular information not available earlier, including exploration of the potential energy surfaces, characterization of the observed intermediate, and their critical points, as well. Our results show that unlike that observed in the acylation reaction, the residues Glu166 and Lys73 would be in their neutral forms. Release of avibactam follows a stepwise mechanism in which the first stage corresponds to the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate, whereas the second stage corresponds to the cleavage of the Ser70-C7 bond, mediated by Lys73, either directly or through Ser130.