A suicide-substrate mechanism for hydrolysis of beta-lactams by an anti-idiotypic catalytic antibody

The catalytic mechanism of an anti-idiotypic antibody, 9G4H9, displaying a beta -lactamase activity was investigated, Kinetics experiments suggest tha t some penicillinic derivatives behave both as substrates and inactivators. Biochemical and immunological experiments strongly indicate that ampicilli n may be regarded as a suicide substrate for hydrolysis by 9G4H9. The anti- idiotypic network appears as a way to create enzyme mimics with modified ca talytic activities. (C) 2001 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.