Induction of respiration-deficient mutants inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeby chelerythrine

Abstract

Chelerythrine and sanguinarine, two structurally related benzo/c/phenanthridine alkaloids, prevented growth of yeast cells in medium containing either glucose or non-fermentable carbon sources. At concentrations permitting growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chelerythrine, but not sanquinarine, induced cytoplasmic respiration-deficient mutants. The petite clones that were analysed exhibited suppressiveness and contained different fragments of the wild-type mitochondrial genome.

Capillary zone electrophoretic studies of interactions of some quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids with DNA constituents and DNA

“…The contradictory arguments reported in the literature suggesting other modes of interaction [10][11][12][13][14] are probably a consequence of metabolic activation of the alkaloids inside the living organisms.…”

“…For example, the interaction of various QIAs with DNA has been repeatedly investigated and intercalation was concluded as the mode of interaction in most of the studies [7][8][9]. However, this mechanism cannot entirely explain all known facts about the alkaloids' action in biological systems, such as the mutagenic action being reported for sanguinarine (SA) [10] and chelerythrine (CHE) [11] as the most important quaternary benzo[c]-phenanthridine alkaloids as well as for berberine (BE) [12], the most important quaternary protoberberine alkaloid. Moreover, the long-term use of oral products containing SA and CHE was associated [13] with an increased prevalence of leukoplakia of the maxillary vestibule (i.e., precancerous lesions) and SA was identified as the principal constituent responsible for argemone oil toxicity causing epidemic dropsy syndrome [14].…”

Effects of the limited analyte solubility on its mobility and zone shape: Electrophoretic behavior of sanguinarine and chelerythrine around pH 7

“…1) display the continually extending spectrum of pronounced effects, beneficial as well as adverse [9][10][11][12]. Reported effects range from the safely evidenced bacteriostatic and bacteriocide activity [10,13] or cytotoxicity in various human cell lines [14,15] to potential anti-tumor activity [16] or possible mutagenity [17,18]. However, mechanisms of their effects remain mostly mysterious.…”