title: Induction of petite mutants in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the anticancer drug dequalinium.
abstract: Dequalinium (DEQ), a drug with both antimicrobial and anticancer activity, induced the formation of petite (respiration-deficient) mutants in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DEQ was found to be approximately 50-fold more potent than ethidium bromide (EB) at inducing petites. Analysis of the DEQ-induced petite mutants indicated a complete loss of mitochondrial DNA (<1 copy/cell). Prior to the loss of mtDNA, DEQ caused cleavage of the mtDNA into a population of fragments 30-40kbp in size suggesting that this drug causes petites by inducing a breakdown of mtDNA. The selective effect of DEQ on yeast mtDNA may underlie the antifungal activity of this chemotherapeutic agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0267, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Schneider-Berlin
authors.forename: Tonya D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Bonilla
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Rowe
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D003868:Dequalinium / Q000633:toxicity*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004996:Ethidium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009154:Mutation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015342:DNA Probes; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003868:Dequalinium; D004996:Ethidium