BIOTRANSFORMATION OF AMPICILLIN ANTIBIOTIC MOLECULE USING SOIL DERIVED BACTERIUM BELONGING TO ALCANIVORAX SP.VIJAY WAGHMARE AND RAJESH C. PATILAbstract Ampicillin was selected as a representative beta lactam antibiotic for this investigation. After preliminary screening, an antibiotic resistant bacterium was isolated from soil. This bacterium was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequences as Alcanivorax sp. The beta lactamase gene responsible for the resistance was also detected in in this bacterial strain. The products of transformation were analyzed using ESITOFMS. MS analysis resulted in mass fingerprints of the metabolites formed during transformation of ampicillin by bacterial strain. Initially this bacterial strain transformed ampicillin into ampicilloic acid with the help of beta-lactamase enzyme. In the present study it was found that ampicillin resistant bacterium exhibit beta lactamase gene and in biotransformation experiment it was proved that this gene produces beta-lactamase enzyme, which opens-up beta-lactam ring of the antibiotic. This study highlights the importance of soil derived bacteria in the transformation of antibiotic molecules. |