Production of a variant of beta-lactamase II with selectively decreased cephalosporinase activity by a mutant of Bacillus cereus 569/H/9.

1. Mutants of Bacillus cereus 569/H/9 have been screened in a search for strains that synthesize variants of beta-lactamase II. 2. One of these mutants (strain 569/H/9/1) produces a beta-lactamase II-like enzyme that shows a selective decrease in cephalosporinase activity. 3. beta-Lactamase II from strain 569/H/9/1 has been purified to apparent homogeneity and its kinetic properties have been examined. This enzyme resembles the parent beta-lactamase II in its relative activity with benzylpenicillin as substrate when Zn(II) is replaced by other metal ions, but differs detectably from the parent enzyme in its isoelectric point.