purpose of ampicillin resistance genes
Best Answer: It confers ampicillin resistance to the cell that has the plasmid carrying the amp^r gene. The gene works by encoding a subunit of the enzyme, beta lactamase, that breaks down ampicillin.This subunit combines with a subunit already present in the bacterial cells to form a working enzyme which breaks down the ampicillin and allows the bacteria to survive.he enzyme responsible for degrading ampicillin is called beta-lactamase, in reference to the beta-lactam structure of ampicillin and related drugs Antibiotic resistance is an important tool for genetic engineering.