Diffusion of beta-lactam antibiotics through the porin channels of Escherichia coli K-12

Diffusion rates of various beta-lactam antibiotics through the OmpF and OmpC porin channels of Escherichia coli K-12 were measured by the use of reconstituted proteoliposomes. The results can be interpreted on the basis of the gross physicochemical properties of the antibiotics along the following lines. (i) As noted previously (Nikaido et al., J. Bacteriol., 153:232-240, 1983), there was a monotonous dependence of the penetration rate on the hydrophobicity of the molecule among the classical monoanionic beta-lactams, and a 10-fold increase in the octanol-water partition coefficient of the uncharged molecule decreased the penetration rate by a factor of 5 to 6. (ii) Compounds with exceptionally bulky side chains, such as mezlocillin, piperacillin, and cefoperazone, showed much slower penetration rates than expected from their hydrophobicity. (iii) The substituted oxime side chain on the alpha-carbon of the substituent group at position 7 of the cephem nucleus decreased the penetration rate almost by an order of magnitude; this appears to be largely due to the steric effect. (iv) The presence of a methoxy group at position 7 of the cephalosporins also reduced the penetration rate by 20%, probably also due to the steric hindrance. (v) Zwitterionic compounds penetrated very rapidly, and the correlation between the rate and hydrophobicity appeared to be much weaker than with the monoanionic compounds. Imipenem showed the highest permeability among the compounds tested, presumably due, at least in part, to its compact molecular structure. (vi) Compounds with two negative charges penetrated more slowly than did analogs with only one negatively charged group. Among them, only moxalactam, ceftriaxone, and azthreonam showed penetration rates corresponding to, or higher than, 10% of that of imipenem.