Final answer:
Beta-lactamase inactivates amoxicillin by breaking its beta-lactam ring structure, rendering it ineffective. Clavulanic acid is used to inhibit beta-lactamase and restore amoxicillin's effectiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Beta-lactamase is an enzyme produced by bacteria that inactivates and renders amoxicillin ineffective. Beta-lactamase breaks the beta-lactam ring structure of amoxicillin, which is essential for its antibacterial activity.
This mechanism of resistance occurs as bacteria develop the ability to produce more beta-lactamase enzymes or acquire new ones that are not inhibited by amoxicillin's beta-lactamase inhibitors. When the beta-lactamases overwhelm the inhibitory effects of the drug, the bacteria become resistant to the amoxicillin.
To combat this resistance, clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, is often combined with amoxicillin in medications like Augmentin. Clavulanic acid irreversibly binds to the beta-lactamase enzymes, preventing them from inactivating the amoxicillin.