Probing the structure and reactivity of the Bacillus cereus 5/B/6 metallo-Beta-lactamase through site-directed mutagenesis and mechanism-based inactivation

The discovery of peniciUin by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1929 was accidental but revolutionary. In 1938, Chain, Foley and their associates purifíed the active agent from a culture filtrate of Penicilium notatum. The subsequent introduction of penicillin into clinical use revolutionized the treatment of many infectious diseases and started a new era of chemotherapy in the history of medicine (Abraham, 1981).