Biochemical and structural characterization of the subclass B1 metallo-β-lactamase VIM-4

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2011 Mar;55(3):1248-55. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01486-09. Epub 2010 Dec 13.

Abstract

The metallo-β-lactamase VIM-4, mainly found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Acinetobacter baumannii, was produced in Escherichia coli and characterized by biochemical and X-ray techniques. A detailed kinetic study performed in the presence of Zn²+ at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 100 μM showed that VIM-4 exhibits a kinetic profile similar to the profiles of VIM-2 and VIM-1. However, VIM-4 is more active than VIM-1 against benzylpenicillin, cephalothin, nitrocefin, and imipenem and is less active than VIM-2 against ampicillin and meropenem. The crystal structure of the dizinc form of VIM-4 was solved at 1.9 Å. The sole difference between VIM-4 and VIM-1 is found at residue 228, which is Ser in VIM-1 and Arg in VIM-4. This substitution has a major impact on the VIM-4 catalytic efficiency compared to that of VIM-1. In contrast, the differences between VIM-2 and VIM-4 seem to be due to a different position of the flapping loop and two substitutions in loop 2. Study of the thermal stability and the activity of the holo- and apo-VIM-4 enzymes revealed that Zn²+ ions have a pronounced stabilizing effect on the enzyme and are necessary for preserving the structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ampicillin / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / metabolism*
  • Cephalosporins / metabolism
  • Cephalothin / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Imipenem / metabolism
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Meropenem
  • Penicillin G / metabolism
  • Thienamycins
  • beta-Lactamases / chemistry*
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Cephalosporins
  • Thienamycins
  • Imipenem
  • Ampicillin
  • beta-Lactamases
  • nitrocefin
  • Meropenem
  • Penicillin G
  • Cephalothin