Penicillin acylases revisited: importance beyond their industrial utility

Abstract

It is of great importance to study the physiological roles of enzymes in nature; however, in some cases, it is not easily apparent. Penicillin acylases are pharmaceutically important enzymes that cleave the acyl side chains of penicillins, thus paving the way for production of newer semi-synthetic antibiotics. They are classified according to the type of penicillin (G or V) that they preferentially hydrolyze. Penicillin acylases are also used in the resolution of racemic mixtures and peptide synthesis. However, it is rather unfortunate that the focus on the use of penicillin acylases for industrial applications has stolen the spotlight from the study of the importance of these enzymes in natural metabolism. The penicillin acylases, so far characterized from different organisms, show differences in their structural nature and substrate spectrum. These enzymes are also closely related to the bacterial signalling phenomenon, quorum sensing, as detailed in this review. This review details studies on biochemical and structural characteristics of recently discovered penicillin acylases. We also attempt to organize the available insights into the possible in vivo role of penicillin acylases and related enzymes and emphasize the need to refocus research efforts in this direction.

• β-lactam
• choloyl glycine
• in vivo role
• Ntn hydrolases
• pathogenicity
• quorum sensing
• regulation
• signalling

Declaration of interest

VSA thanks Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India for the award of Senior Research Fellowship. RSK thanks the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India for Ramanujan Fellowship.

The authors report no declarations of interest.