Journal of Biochemistry Advance Access published online on February 21, 2007
Journal of Biochemistry, doi:10.1093/jb/mvm062
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
© 2007 The Japanese Biochemical Society
The Effect of V(III)-Adenine Complex on Yeast as a Model of Eukaryotic Cells
tkowski*
y**
ska**
*/ Institute of Genetics and Microbiology University of Wroc
aw.
**/ Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroc
aw
Addres correspondence to: Jerzy Pi
tkowski, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology University of Wroc
aw, 51-148 Wroc
aw, Ul Przybyszewskiego 66/73, Tel. 071 375 62 17; Fax 325 21 51; E-Mail: jurekp{at}microb.uni.wroc.pl
Received November 23, 2006; Accepted January 31, 2007
| Abstract |
|---|
The dinuclear µ-okso vanadium (III) complex compound H4V2OCl4(Ad)2 synthesized in our laboratory was investigated as a potential cytotoxic agent against yeast cells. The results of these studies could be helpful in explanation of the mechanism governing the V (III) compound action on yeast as a simple model of eukaryotic cells. The important factors influencing the toxicity of this complex compound are: the stage of the yeast life cycle, the rate of growth and the pH of reaction mixture. The lethal effect was distinctly stronger when the reaction mixture was slightly acidic (pH=4). In such solutions V(III) mononuclear species with adenine was relatively stable, and during the time of experiment possibly only a slow oxidation process to V(IV) occurred. In the solutions with pH=7, several hydrolytic, perhaps mixed valence, polynuclear species were present and their action on the yeast cells was rather weak. The increased lethal activity of this compound in acidic solutions may be useful in specific treatment against cancer cells whose cytoplasm and/or closest surrounding has lower pH value. The next important result was an observation that the killing activity of this compound was enhanced for yeast cells being in log phase. Also these which had a slower rate of growth (possessing some auxotrophic mutations) were more resistant than those growing faster. The extent of yeast mutagenesis caused by the complex compound is negligible, as the number of mutants found in experiments was within the limit of experimental error. These results are promising and the investigated complex can be considered as a potential anti cancer agent.
Key Words: adenine, anti-cancer drugs, cancer treatment, vanadium complex compound, yeast