Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025
08:06
The Use of a β-lactamase-based Conductimetric Biosensor Assay to Detect Biomolecular Interactions
Published on: February 1, 2018
9.1K
Classification for β-lactamases: historical perspectives
1Professor of Practice Emerita, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy
|March 23, 2023
Summary
Beta-lactamase nomenclature is evolving due to enzyme diversity. Current systems incorporate functional and structural features, with the NCBI overseeing naming conventions for these antibiotic resistance enzymes.
Area of Science:
- Enzymology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Beta-lactamases are key enzymes in antibiotic resistance.
- Historical classification relied on functional names (penicillinase, cephalosporinase) or structural classes (A, B).
- Increasing enzyme diversity necessitates advanced nomenclature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of beta-lactamase nomenclature.
- To highlight the shift from functional to integrated functional and structural classification systems.
- To establish the current authority for beta-lactamase naming.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical enzyme designations.
- Analysis of classification schemes based on biochemical properties and amino acid sequences.
- Medline search to identify current nomenclature trends.
- Identification of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as the governing body.
Main Results:
- Early beta-lactamases were named functionally.
- Classification expanded to structural groups (serine-based: A, C, D; metallo-beta-lactamases: B).
- Modern classification integrates function and structure, with NCBI oversight.
Conclusions:
- Beta-lactamase nomenclature requires continuous evolution.
- New enzyme discoveries and functionalities will drive future naming conventions.
- Standardized nomenclature is crucial for research and clinical applications in antibiotic resistance.
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