The function of the hydroxyl group of the tyrosine residue readily nitrated by tetranitromethane (tyrosine-105) in the RTEM plasmid-derived beta-lactamase (penicillinase; penicillin amido beta-lactam-hydrolase, EC 3.5.1.6) from E. coli and in Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I has been investigated by