Metallo -β-Lactamases: A Review

Abstract

    Metallo-beta- lactamases (MBLs) are a diverse set of enzymes which have the ability to inactivate all beta lactam drugs. These enzymes have a common  sandwich fold (αβ/βα ) in the active site. Based on amino acid sequence identity and utilization of zinc ion, three subclasses of  MBLs have been characterized B1,B2 and B3 when subclass B1 has emerged as the most important one .Genes encoding MBLs can be carried on mobile genetic elements such as plasmid, transposons and inetgrons. The dissemination of MBLs- encoding genes among bacteria has made them an important issue for antibiotic resistance. This review aimed to summarize the characters of metallo beta lactamase and focus on the most prominent transferable types.