NOVEL ANALYSIS OF PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEINS USING LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

Antibiotically effective beta-lactams can covalently modify penicillin -binding proteins (PBPs), which are enzymes that synthesize bacterial cell walls. This article introduces chromatographic analysis of PBPs u sing beta-lactam spectroscopic and fluorescent probes with gel permeat ion and reversed-phase chromatography columns. The analysis is much fa ster than electrophoretic separation of radio-labeled PBPs followed by radioautography, the currently used method. This method should be val uable for both clinical and basic research laboratories in which great er speed, sensitivity, and precision are required.