Which one of the following statements regarding Penicillin is correct?

Penicillin is a ̢-lactam antibiotic that works by binding to Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs), which are essential for bacterial cell wall synthesis. Resistance to penicillin primarily occurs through the production of bacterial enzymes known as ̢-lactamases [2]. These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of the ̢-lactam ring, effectively degrading and inactivating the antibiotic before it can reach its target [2]. Other resistance mechanisms include the alteration of antibiotic targets, such as the production of PBP 2A with low binding affinity, or the use of efflux pumps to remove the drug from the cell. While bacteria can develop resistance through reduced permeability or target modification, the specific enzymatic degradation of penicillin is a hallmark of ̢-lactamase activity [2]. Lactic acid dehydrogenase is unrelated to antibiotic degradation, and bacteria do not typically store antibiotics in vacuoles as a resistance mechanism.

Sources

1. [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/penicillin-binding-protein-2a