PBPs normally catalyze the cross-linking of the bacterial cell wall, but they can be permanently inhibited by penicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics. (NAM = N-acetylmuramic acid; NAG = N-acetylglucosamine)[2]
Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are a group of proteins that are characterized by their affinity for and binding of penicillin. They are a normal constituent of many bacteria; the name just reflects the way by which the protein was discovered. All β-lactam antibiotics (except for tabtoxinine-β-lactam, which inhibits glutamine synthetase) bind to PBPs, which are essential for bacterial cell wall synthesis. PBPs are members of a subgroup of enzymes called transpeptidases. Specifically, PBPs are DD-transpeptidases.
