Question

Which enzyme is inhibited by penicillin? Is it reversible inhibitor?

Answer 1

Bacteria constantly rearrange their peptidoglycan cell walls, simultaneously building and destroying parts of the cell wall as they grow and divide. beta-lactam antibiotics inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan cross-links in the bacterial cell wall; this is achieved by binding the four-membered beta-lactam ring of penicillins to the enzyme DD-transpeptidase. It is seversible inhibitor