Product Description
Used as a selective agent for plasmid transformation, ampicillin is a β-lactam antibiotic with an amino group side chain attached to the penicillin structure, 6-amino-penicillanic acid. It is bactericidal to only Escherichia coli, inhibiting cell wall synthesis by transpeptidase inactivation on the inner surface of the cell membrane, and it is more active against Gram-negative bacteria. Resistance is mediated by cleavage of the β-lactam ring of ampicillin by the enzyme β-lactamase.