Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporinase in Acinetobacter baumannii

An AmpC-type beta-lactamase conferring high-level resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins and monobactams was characterized from an Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolate. This class C beta-lactamase (named ADC-33) possessed a Pro210Arg substitution together with a duplication of an Ala residue at position 215 (inside the Omega-loop) compared to a reference AmpC cephalosporinase from A. baumannii. ADC-33 hydrolyzed ceftazidime, cefepime, and aztreonam at high levels, which allows the classification of this enzyme as an extended-spectrum AmpC (ESAC). Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed the role of both substitutions in its ESAC property.