title: Inhibition of plant protein synthesis by the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin, cylindrospermopsin.
abstract: Cylindrospermopsin, a cyanobacterial guanidine alkaloid hepatotoxin and protein synthesis-inhibitor, was assayed for its effects on the germination of pollen from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Samsun NN). Pollen germination, measured by Alcian Blue dye-binding, was inhibited by cylindrospermopsin between 5 and 1000 microg ml(-1). As a protein synthesis-inhibitor, cylindrospermopsin did not inhibit pollen germination to the same extent as cycloheximide on a gravimetric basis, but significantly reduced the amount of (14)C-(U)-l-leucine labelling in pollen tubes. The inhibition of tobacco pollen germination may be amenable for development as a bioassay for cylindrospermopsin, although this would require a pre-concentration step for the monitoring of environmental samples. Implications of these observations for current spray-irrigation practices are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Applied Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK. j.s.metcalf@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: Abdellah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barakate
authors.forename: Geoffrey A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Codd
mesh_terms: D000423:Alcian Blue; D000470:Alkaloids; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects*; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004396:Coloring Agents; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; C089595:cylindrospermopsin; D014498:Uracil; D007930:Leucine; D000423:Alcian Blue