Carbenicillin

Carbenicillin is a semisynthetic, broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotic (carboxypenicillin) used parenterally to treat infections, especially those due to Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. It acts by interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis through binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), inhibiting peptidoglycan cross-linking. Carbenicillin is acid labile and more resistant to beta-lactamase than ampicillin, but can still be degraded by these enzymes. It may cause dose-dependent side effects, such as bleeding and hypokalemia, and is used in research settings as a selection agent in molecular biology due to lower toxicity of its breakdown products.

Other names

CarboxybenzylpenicillinCarbenicilinaCarbenicillineCarbenicillinumCBPCα-carboxybenzylpenicillinα-phenyl(carboxymethylpenicillin)CAS 4697-36-3

Inhibitor of bacterial cell wall synthesis (by binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and blocking peptidoglycan crosslinking)