Antibiotics
in the penicillin group are still being imported from overseas at considerable
cost. Work on enzymes involved in the synthesis of penicillin derivatives
have potential applications in developing synthetic processes locally. One
project aims to determine the three-dimensional structure of Pseudomonas
stutzeri D-phenylglucine aminotransferase, which catalyzes an unusual
stereo-inversion reaction, so that the mechanism of this reaction may be worked
out. Another project attempts to modify the specificity of the enzyme penicillin
G acylase from B.megaterium by protein engineering, in order to obtain
a novel enzyme cephalosporin acylase, that may be used in the synthesis cephalosporin
antibiotics.
Enzymes
in the synthesis of penicillin derivatives