title: Effects of amiodarone on K+, internal pH and Ca2+ homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: In this study, amiodarone, at very low concentrations, produced a clear efflux of K(+). Increasing concentrations also produced an influx of protons, resulting in an increase of the external pH and a decrease of the internal pH. The K(+) efflux resulted in an increased plasma membrane potential difference, responsible for the entrance of Ca(2+) and H(+), the efflux of anions and the subsequent changes resulting from the increased cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration, as well as the decreased internal pH. The Deltatok1 and Deltanha1 mutations resulted in a smaller effect of amiodarone, and Deltatrk1 and Deltatrk2 showed a higher increase of the plasma membrane potential. Higher concentrations of amiodarone also produced full inhibition of respiration, insensitive to uncouplers and a partial inhibition of fermentation. This phenomenon appears to be common to a large series of cationic molecules that can produce the efflux of K(+), through the reduction of the negative surface charge of the cell membrane, and the concentration of this cation directly available to the monovalent cation carriers, and/or producing a disorganization of the membrane and altering the functioning of the carriers, probably not only in yeast.
authors: Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F., Mexico. apd@ifc.unam.mx
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Peña
authors: Martha
authors: M
authors: Calahorra
authors: Bertha
authors: B
authors: Michel
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Ramírez
authors: Norma Silvia
authors: NS
authors: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000638:Amiodarone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006859:Hydrogen; D000638:Amiodarone; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium