The reaction of penicillin with proteins.

The mode of reaction of benzylpenicillin with two proteins was studied, with particular reference to the allergenicity of penicillin. These reactions, with pig insulin, and with hen's-egg-white lysozyme, were carried out in neutral solution at 37 degrees C. High concentrations of penicillin are needed to label the proteins, owing to concurrent hydrolysis of penicillin. Evidence has been obtained that the penicillin-reactive sites on the insulin molecule are the alpha-amino group at the N-terminus of the A chain and the epsilon-amino group of the lysine residue; whereas a site of reaction with lysozyme appears to be the epsilon-amino group of lysine-116.     

The stereochemistry of beta-lactam formation in penicillin biosynthesis.

1. (2R,3S)-[U-14C,3-3H1]- and (2R,3R)-[U-14C,2,3-3H2] Cysteine hydrochlorides have been separately synthesised. The latter compound has been shown to have uniform distributions of tritium between C-2 and C-3. 2. The abvoe cysteines and (2R)-[U-14C,3,3,3',3'-3H4]cystine have been converted to samples of penicillin G by Penicillium chrysogenum. 3. Incorporation results indicate that all but 14% of the tritium is lost from the (2R,3S)-[3-3H1]isomer; that 42% of tritium is retained by the non-stereospecifically C-3 tritiated cystine; and that 58% of tritium is retained by the (2R,3R)-[2,3-3H2]isomer on conversion to penicillin G. 4. Degradation of the penicillin G derived from (2R,3R)-[U-14C,2,3-3H2]cysteine hydrochloride has indicated that in fact about 87% of the original C-3 tritium of cysteine is retained at C-5 of penicillin G. 5. The results indicate stereospecificity in the cyclisation giving rise to the beta-lactam ring in penicillin G in nature with loss of the 3-pro-S-hydrogen and rentention of the 3-pro-R-hydrogen of cysteine. Thus there is net retention of stereochemistry in the cyclisation.     

The binding of penicillin antibiotics to a human liver protein.

A protein has been isolated from postmortem human livers which binds the penicillin analogs, dicloxacillin, nafcillin and benzylpenicillin, as well as oleic acid. Its molecular weight is in the range 17,000–20,000 and its pI is 5.9. It appears to be similar to a fatty acid-binding protein previously isolated from rat tissues.