title: Differential inhibition of chitin synthetases 1 and 2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by polyoxin D and nikkomycins.
abstract: Polyoxin D, nikkomycin X, and nikkomycin Z are all competitive inhibitors of chitin synthetase 2 (Chs2), the essential enzyme for primary septum formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and of Chs1, a repair enzyme. However, Chs2 is more resistant to these antibiotics than Chs1. When Co2+, the best stimulator of Chs2, was used in the assay for this enzyme, the differences in the Ki values for nikkomycins between the two isozymes reached 3 orders of magnitude. These results point to differences in the active sites of the two isozymes. Polyoxin D was much more effective than nikkomycin Z in inhibiting cell growth. This underlines the importance of the choice of enzyme and of assay conditions when cell wall-synthesizing enzymes are used in screens for possible antifungal agents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Metabolism, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabib
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides; D003035:Cobalt; C011952:nikkomycin; C002458:polyoxorim; D002687:Chitin Synthase; D008274:Magnesium