The mechanism of NDM-1-catalyzed carbapenem hydrolysis is distinct from that of penicillin or cephalosporin hydrolysis

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamases (NDMs), the recent additions to metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs), pose a serious public health threat due to its highly efficient hydrolysis of beta-lactam antibiotics and rapid worldwide dissemination. The MBL-hydrolyzing mechanism for carbapenems is less studied than that of penicillins and cephalosporins. Here, we report crystal structures of NDM-1 in complex with hydrolyzed imipenem and meropenem, at resolutions of 1.80-2.32 angstrom, together with NMR spectra monitoring meropenem hydrolysis. Three enzyme-intermediate/product derivatives, EI1, EI2, and EP, are trapped in these crystals. Our structural data reveal double-bond tautomerization from Delta(2) to Delta(1), absence of a bridging water molecule and an exclusive beta-diastereomeric product, all suggesting that the hydrolytic intermediates are protonated by a bulky water molecule incoming from the beta-face. These results strongly suggest a distinct mechanism of NDM-1-catalyzed carbapenem hydrolysis from that of penicillin or cephalosporin hydrolysis, which may provide a novel rationale for design of mechanism-based inhibitors.