beta-Lactamase-catalyzed hydrolysis of acyclic depsipeptides and acyl transfer to specific amino acid acceptors.

beta-Lactamases from all three classes, A, B, and C, catalyze the hydrolysis of specific acyclic depsipeptide (PhCH2CONHCR1R2CO2CHR3CO2H) analogs of acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine peptides. The depsipeptides investigated, which are chemically as reactive toward nucleophiles as penicillins, are in general poor substrates, although differences between the classes of beta-lactamases have been observed: the order of effectiveness seems to be C greater than B greater than A. Certain class A and C beta-lactamases also catalyze phenylacetylglycyl transfer between phenylacetylglycyl depsipeptides and specific amino acid acceptors, a type of reaction hitherto identified more closely with D-alanyl-D-alanine transpeptidases than with beta-lactamases. Preliminary indications of an acyl-enzyme intermediate in these reactions have been obtained. These results support the suggestion [Tipper, D.J. and Strominger, J.L. (1965) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 54, 1133-1141] that beta-lactamases are evolutionary descendants of bacterial cell wall D-alanyl-D-alanine transpeptidases.