1887

Abstract

Summary: The action of 2:7-diamino-9-phenyl-10-ethyl phenanthridinium bromide (ethidium bromide) on the parasitic flagellate has been studied. The drug is irreversibly active only against growing organisms. Addition of the drug to cultures of organisms in the logarithmic phase of growth did not result in an immediate inhibition of growth but in a progressive decrease in growth rate; at least a doubling in number of organisms always occurred before multiplication finally ceased. During the period of growth in the presence of drug the deoxyribonucleic acid content of the organisms fell to half its normal value whilst the ribonucleic acid remained approximately constant. Conditions have been determined which permit the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins by washed suspensions of and the effect of ethidium bromide on these processes has been studied. The drug rapidly inhibits DNA synthesis whereas RNA and protein synthesis continue for a period of 2–3 hr. after the addition of drug. A study has been made of the uptake of C-labelled ethidium bromide by organisms under conditions which will or which will not permit nucleic acid synthesis. The uptake of drug is of two types: (i) an initial rapid uptake which occurs in the absence of nucleic acid synthesis and which does not affect the subsequent growth of organisms; (ii) an additional uptake by growing organisms which appears to follow the course of RNA synthesis and which results, eventually, in an inhibition of growth.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-17-3-718
1957-12-01
2024-04-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/micro/17/3/mic-17-3-718.html?itemId=/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-17-3-718&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Browning C. H., Morgan G. T., Robb J. M. V., Walls L. P. 1938; The trypanocidal action of certain phenanthridinium compounds. . J. Path. Bact 46:203
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Brownlee G., Goss M. D., Goodwin L. G., Woodbine M., Walls L. P. 1950; The chemotherapeutic action of phenanthridine compounds. . Brit. J. Pharmacol. 5:261
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Burton K. 1956; A study of the conditions and mechanism of the diphenyl-amine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem. J 62:315
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Caldwell P. C., Mackor E. L., Hinshelwood C. 1950; The ribose nucleic acid content and cell growth of Bact. lactis aerogenes. . J. chem. Soc p. 3151
    [Google Scholar]
  5. casperson T., Brand K. 1941; Nucleotidumsatz und Wachstum bei Presshefe. Protoplasma 35:507
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Chibnall A. C., Rees M. W., Williams E. F. 1943; The total nitrogen content of egg albumin and other proteins. Biochem. J 37:354
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Dickinson L., Chantrill B. H., Inkley G. W., Thompson M. J. 1953; The antiviral action of phenanthridinium compounds. . Brit. J. Pharmacol 8:139
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Gale E. F., Folkes J. P. 1953; The assimilation of amino acids by bacteria. 14. Nucleic acid and protein synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus. . Biochem. J 53:483
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Hawking F. 1953; Recent advances in the chemotherapy of protozoal infections. Symposium. . Growth Inhibition and Chemotherapy p. 88 6th Congr. Int. Microbiol., Rome.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Jacobson W., Webb M. 1952; The two types of nucleoprotein during mitosis. . Exp. Cell Res 3:163
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Jeeneb R., Bhachet J. 1944; Recherches sur l'acide ribonucleiques des levures. Enzymologia 11:222
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Johnson M. J. 1941; Isolation and properties of a pure yeast polypeptidase. J. biol. Chem 137:575
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Lock J. A. 1950; The chemotherapeutic action of phenanthridine compounds. 4. Activity in vitro. . Brit. J. Pharmacol. 5:398
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Lwoff M. 1937; L’aneurine, facteur de croissance pour le flagelle trypanosomide, Strigomonas oncopelti. . C.R. Soc. Biol.Paris 126:771
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Markham R. 1942; A steam distillation apparatus suitable for micro-Kjeldahl analysis. Biochem. J 36:790
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Morgan G., Walls L. P., Browning C. H., Gulbranson R., Robb J. M. V. 1938; Researches in the phenanthridine series. 5. The colour and antiseptic properties of quaternary salts. . J. chem. Soc 389:
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Newton B. A. 1956; A synthetic growth medium for the trypanosomid flagellate Strigomonas (Herpetomonas) oncopelti. . Nature; Lond.: 177279
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Newton B. A. 1957; Nutritional requirements and biosynthetic capabilities of the parasitic flagellate Strigomonas oncopelti. . J. gen. Microbiol 17:708
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Ormerod W. E. 1951a; The mode of action of antrycide. . Brit. J. Pharmacol. 6:325
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Ormerod W. E. 1951b; A study of basophilic inclusion bodies produced by chemotherapeutic agents in trypanosomes. . Brit. J. Pharmacol 6:334
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Scheubaum O., Zeuthen E. 1955; Temperature induced synchronous division in the ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis growing in synthetic and proteose peptone media. Exp. Cell Res Suppl. 3:312
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Seaman A., Woodbine M. 1953; Some aspects of the antibacterial effects of phenanthridine compounds. Atti VI Congr. int. Microbiol 1:636
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Taylor D., Sharpe J. 1951; Nuclear particle and radiation detectors. Proc. Inst. Elect. Engrs. 98:174
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Walls L. P. 1945; Researches in the phenanthridine series. 6. The relationship between structure and trypanocidal properties. J. chem. Soc 294:
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Watkins T. I., Woolfe G. 1952; Effect of changing the quaternizing group on the trypanocidal activity of dimidium bromide. Nature; Lond.: 169506
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Woolfe G. 1952; The trypanocidal activity of phenanthridine compounds. Ann. trop. Med. Parasit 46:285
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-17-3-718
Loading
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-17-3-718
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error