(Chemical Connections 11B) (a) Identify the b-lactam portion of amoxicillin and cephal...

(Chemical Connections 11B)

(a) Identify the b-lactam portion of amoxicillin and cephalexin.

(b) Penicillin-resistant organisms are able to synthesize ß-lactamase, an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the ß-lactam ring of penicillin. The integrity of the ß-lactam ring is essential for antibacterial activity. Draw the structural formulaof the molecule formed by the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the ß-lactam ring of penicillin G.