Ticarcillin Disodium, USP

Ticarcillin disodium, USP is an extended-spectrum (4th generation) β-lactam in the carboxypenicillin family. Ticarcillin Disodium (BRL 2288) was originally synthesized by Beecham Research Laboratories in 1967 and was made available for research, prior to 1970. Ticarcillin has bactericidal activity against many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Ticarcillin Disodium is a cell wall synthesis inhibitor. It exerts bactericidal activity via inhibition of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis at the level of peptidoglycan cross-linking by inhibiting peptidoglycan transpeptidases.
In molecular biology, ticarcillin is used to as an alternative to Ampicillin Sodium (A042) to test the uptake of marker genes into bacteria. It prevents the appearance of satellite colonies that occur when ampicillin breaks down in the media. It is also used in plant molecular biology to kill agrobacterium, which is used to deliver genes to plant cells.

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Background

β-lactams, like Ticarcillin Disodium, USP, interfere with PBP (penicillin binding protein) activity involved in the final phase of peptidoglycan synthesis. PBP’s are enzymes which catalyze a pentaglycine crosslink between alanine and lysine residues providing additional strength to the cell wall. Without a pentaglycine crosslink, the integrity of the cell wall is severely compromised and ultimately leads to cell lysis and death. Resistance to β-lactams is commonly due to cells containing plasmid encoded β-lactamases.