Nitrofuran-Reducing Enzymes of Euglena*

SYNOPSIS. Euglena gracilis strain Z, green, dark-grown, and “bleached”with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, was found to contain 2 soluble enzymes which reduce nitrofurans. A small amount of activity was demonstrated also in a particulate fraction of sonic extracts, but none in isolated chloroplasts. The reduction of 5 nitrofurans, having widely differing bleaching activities, by each of the 2 enzymes was examined.     

Influence of subcellular fractions of mammalian testes on the mutagenic activity of nitrofurans toward Escherichia coli; presence of a co-mutagen-like factor.

The activation of nitrofurans to mutagenic intermediates by testicular tissue was investigated. AF-2 and nitrofurazone were tested in a microsomal suspension assay with strain E. coli K-12 343/113 as indicator and subcellular fractions from rabbit testes. Different mutation patterns were observed in the presence or absence of testicular homogenate, indicating the presence of different mutagenic intermediates. The frequency of arg+ reversion increased proportionally to the homogenate concentration suggesting that the nitrofurans were activated by testicular components to intermediates that induced base-pair substitutions. Other experiments showed that a component of low molecular weight, present in the soluble fraction of homogenates of testes from rabbits, rats and monkeys, was responsible for the increased mutation frequency. It is concluded that this "co-mutagen-like" factor either alters the metabolism of nitrofurans in E. coli and/or promotes the formation of base-pair substitution-type mutations. This direct interaction between a nonenzymic component of mammalian testes and the mutation induction/expression process in E. coli suggests the role of co-mutagen-like factors in the sensitivity of testes to nitrofurans.     

Mutagenic activity of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic nitrofurans and of urine of rats fed these compounds

The nitrofurans, 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide (AF-2), N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (FANFT), nitrofurantoin, 5-nitro-2-furoic acid, 5-nitro-2-furamidoxime, 5-nitrofurfurylidene diacetate and the urine of rats fed these compounds, were assayed for mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 and TA100FR1. All the nitrofurans were mutagenic in the order: AF-2 and FANFT > nitrofurantoin > 5-nitro-2-furamidoxime > 5-nitrofurfurylidene diacetate > 5-nitro-2-furoic acid. Strain TA100 was more sensitive than TA100FR1 to the mutagenic influence of these nitrofurans. Only the urine of rats fed AF-2, FANFT and nitrofurantoin had mutagenic activity. Again, TA100 was more sensitive than TA100FR1. The mutagenicity of the urine was not increased by treatment with β-glucuronidase. AF-2, 2-amino-4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)thiazole (deformylated product of FANFT) and nitrofurantoin were excreted in the urine of rats fed these compounds; whereas the other nitrofurans were not excreted.     

Involvement of active oxygen species in protein and oligonucleotide degradation induced by nitrofurans.

It is of great interest to know how nitrofurans are mutagenic and clastogenic. In particular, the 3-amino-2-oxazolidone (AOZ) ring, deriving from a cleavage of furazolidone, is not further metabolized and has been found to be part of protein-bound residues in edible tissues of farm animals and these might be released in the stomach of the consumer. The data in this paper show that isoniazide as well as AOZ and 3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ), the latter deriving from furaltadone, cause irreversible damage to the prosthetic group of enzymes as well as degrade their polypeptide chain and cause fragmentation of the backbone chain of cellular or isolated DNA and RNA. Cellular DNA was degraded into small fragments of 2000 Mb, while rRNA was completely destroyed. Nitrofuran derivatives and hydrazides, in fact, share an N-N moiety, which is assumed to play an essential role in the irreversible damage observed. The key to the molecular mechanisms by which these compounds cause their irreversible effects may lie in oxygen consumption and electron spin resonance measurements, which reveal that both nitrofurans and isoniazide produce oxygen radicals at various degrees of efficiency. AOZ and AMOZ are not metabolized into more reactive metabolites, being themselves able to react with atmospheric oxygen and induce protein and oligonucleotide damage. The reaction does not require metal ions, although their presence will accelerate it.     

On the induction of umu gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA1535/pSK1002 by some nitrofurans.

Several nitrofurans were found to induce umu gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 as defined on the basis of at least a 2-fold increase of beta-galactosidase activity over the background level. beta-Galactosidase activity increased with increasing concentrations of the chemical, attained a maximum at a concentration which was different for different nitrofurans used, and then gradually decreased with a further increase of the nitrofuran concentration. The umu gene expression test revealed that the genotoxic activity was highest for furazolidone and lowest for 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde.     

A Novel Nitroreductase of Staphylococcus aureus with S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase Activity

In this report we show that inactivation of the putative nitroreductase SA0UHSC_00833 (ntrA) increases the sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus to S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and augments its resistance to nitrofurans. S. aureus NtrA is a bifunctional enzyme that exhibits nitroreductase and GSNO reductase activity. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that NtrA is a member of a novel family of nitroreductases that seems to play a dual role in vivo, promoting nitrofuran activation and protecting the cell against transnitrosylation.Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive pathogen responsible for a large number of human infections that range from mild to potentially lethal systemic infections. The rapidly increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections, particularly among human immunodeficiency virus-infected and AIDS patients (1), reveals that the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of S. aureus is becoming ineffective and shows the need for using alternative compounds. Staphylococcus strains are sensitive to nitrofuran derivatives such as nitrofurazone and nitrofurantoin, which are utilized in the treatment of burns, skin grafts, and genitourinary infections (2). The action of nitrofurans is dependent on the presence of specific microbial enzymes, the nitroreductases, which catalyze the reduction of the drug, a step that is essential for its activation. The activation of nitroaromatic compounds by bacterial nitroreductases is also used as a cancer therapy, since the cytotoxic hydroxylamine derivative compounds are able to destroy tumors (5).In microorganisms subjected to nitrosative stress, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is formed by reaction of NO with the intracellular glutathione. The GSNO formed reacts with thiol-containing proteins promoting thiol nitrosation, which modifies the function of proteins that are essential to many cellular processes. To control the level of S-nitrosylated proteins, organisms use GSNO reductases, namely, the ubiquitous glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, also known as class III alcohol dehydrogenase (6). However, GSNO is also a NADPH-dependent oxidizing substrate of other enzymes such as the thioredoxin system, glutathione peroxidase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and xanthine oxidase, indicating that GSNO reductase activity is frequently associated with other enzymatic activities (3, 4, 7, 10).Our microarray studies revealed that the staphylococcal gene SA0UHSC_00833 of S. aureus NCTC 8325 encoding a putative nitroreductase is induced by GSNO. Hence, we have analyzed the in vivo role of this protein in the metabolism of GSNO and nitrofurans and performed biochemical characterization of the recombinant protein SA0UHSC_00833 (named NtrA).     

The combined effect of supraoptimal temperature and chemotherapeutic preparations on the metabolism of adenylic nucleotides by Staphylococcus aureus]

Comparative investigation of the effect of nitrofurans on the metabolism of adenylic nucleotides of Staphylococcus aureus at 36 degrees and 40 degrees C was made. It was shown that increasing of the cultivation temperature intensified the bacteristatic effect of nitrofurans. The use of nitrofurans at supraoptimal temperature intensified the activity of ATP-ase and considerably decreased the ATP, ADP and increased the AMP of Staphylococcus aureus.     

Effect of Nitrofurans on the Chloroplast System of Euglena gracilis

SYNOPSIS. Twelve derivatives of 5-nitrofuran were tested on Euglena grarzlis . All rendered the organism permanently apoplastidic and, at somewhat higher concentrations, killed. The furan analogues of 3 of these compounds had no effect on the chloroplast system and were less toxic than the nitrcfurans. Low concentrations of nitrofurantoin and nitroiuraldehyde inhibited formation of chlorophyll when etiolated cells irere illuminated.
Exposure of euglena to low concentrations of these agents for about 2 generation times. followed by plating on drug-free mediurn. resulted in a high proportion of bleached colonies. It is theretore concluded that the nitrofurans induce apotplastidy by causing permanent damage to the chloroplast system rather than by inhibiting its replication temporarily. Since one of the nitrofurans which was found to bleach euglena, NFT–3-amino-6[-2-(5-nitro-2-furyl) vinyl]-1,2,4-triazine–is known to cause specific inhibition of DNA synthesis in bacteria, nitrofurans may perhaps bleach euglena through selective damage to chloroplast-DNA or to the DNA-synthesizing system of the chloroplast.     

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide: factors determining its mutagenicity in bacteria

In bacteria, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) causes primarily mutations of the base-substitution type although frameshift mutations are also induced. The adducts formed are presumably recognized by error-prone DNA repair enzymes as evidenced by the much greater activity in plasmid pKM101-bearing tester strains. Although reduction of the nitro group appears to be required for mutagenic activity, this reduction is not catalyzed by the nitroreductase required for the demonstration of the mutagenicity in bacteria of other nitro-containing mutagens (nitrofurans, 2-nitronaphthalene, nitrofluorenes). The reduction of the nitro group appears to be catalyzed by a different nitroreductase. The mutagenicity of the non-carcinogenic 3-methyl-4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (meNQO) may be related to this newly recognized nitroreductase. It is proposed, further, that the ultimate mutagenic intermediates derived from NQO and MeNQO differ.     

Mutagenicity of nitrofurans in Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6

8 representative 2-substituted 5-nitrofurans were assayed for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6. The tested compounds were: 5-nitro-2-furanacrylic N-(5-nitro-2-furfurylidene)hydrazide (1); furazolidone (2); 5-nitro-2-furanacrolein (3); 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde semicarbazone (4); 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde (5); nitrofurantoin (6); 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde diacetate (7); and 5-nitro-2-furoic acid (8). These compounds exhibited markedly different mutagenic activities in TA98, and these mutagenicities were similar both in the presence and the absence of rat-liver hepatic S9 activation enzymes. The mutagenic responses ranged from potent (90-300 revertants/nmole, compounds 1-3), to medium (about 10 revertants/nmole, compounds 4 and 6), to weak (0-4 revertants/nmole, compounds 5, 7 and 8). The mutagenicity of 3 was similar in all 3 tester strains, while compound 8 was essentially inactive. The mutagenicities of 1, 4, 5 and 7 were decreased 30-75% in TA98NR, while 2 and 6 showed an even greater depression of activity in this strain. Compound 6 with S9 was about equally mutagenic in TA98 and TA98/1,8-DNP6, while the activities of 6 without S9 and 2 and 7 both with and without S9 were 50-75% lower in TA98/1,8-DNP6. Compounds 1, 4 and 5 were only about 5-10% as mutagenic in TA98/1,8-DNP6 as in TA98. These results suggest that: (i) nitrofurans and their S9-mediated metabolites have similar mutagenic potencies; (ii) with the possible exception of No. 3, nitroreduction is the major route of mutagenic activation for these nitrofurans; and (iii) for compounds 2, 6 and 7, both the presumed N-hydroxy and N,O-ester derivatives of the corresponding aminofuran metabolites appear to lead to mutations.     

Mutagenic activities of simple nitrofuran derivatives. I. Comparison of related compounds in the phage inductest, chloroplast-bleaching and bacterial-repair and mutagenicity tests

Several simple furan and nitrofuran compounds were tested for mutagenicity and related biological activities, in the Ames test, the bacterial repair test, the prophage-induction test and the chloroplast-bleaching test. Only those compounds having the nitro-group were found to be active in the test. If the nitro-group was in the beta instead of the alpha position, the mutagenic activity was much reduced (0.3 revertants per nanomole, the other simple nitrofurans producing 5-15 reversions per nanomole, as did 5-nitrofuran and 5,2-dinitrofuran). The vinyl-group-containing compound, 5-nitro-2-furylacrylic acid, was by one decadic order more effective both in the Ames test and in the prophage-induction test. In the repair tests all nitrofurans displayed a much higher dependence on the recA-repair system than on the uvrA system. For 2 compounds, the dinitrofuran and, especially, the 5-nitrofuraldehyde, the urA cells were even less sensitive than the wild-type cells.     

Mutagenicity of nitrofuran drugs in bacterial systems

The mutagenic activity of 5 nitrofuran drugs (furadantin, furoxon, furacin, benzazon VII and lampit) was tested on strainsSalmonella typhimurium TA 100, TA 1535, TA 1538 andEscherichia coli WP2uvra ⁺ and WP2uvr A. All nitrofurans tested had a marked mutagenic effect on strain TA 100 and, partially, on strain TA 1535 except for furoxon which was strongly toxic for this strain. No significant mutagenic effects of the drugs were observed with strain TA 1538. With the exception of lympit, all drugs exerted a mutagenie action onE.coli WP2uvrA but no on WP2 uvrA⁺ which has an intact excision repair system. The only drug exerting a mutagenie effect on the latter strain was furoxon. All five nitrofurans exhibited a positive repair rest. The results support the notion that the nitrofuran mutagens under study induce single base substitutions.     

Hereditary bleaching ofEuglena gracilis affected by 3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylic acid

Light and elevated incubation temperature were found to be involved in the ability of four nitrofurans to cause the hereditary bleaching effect inEuglena gracilis. The enzyme activation by S9 mix also played a significant role in the case of 3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylic acid. When using the combination of the above factors the most pronounced hereditary bleaching was reached.     

Joint action of nitrofuran preparations and bile acids on bacteria of the genus Proteus]

Sensitivity of 25 fresh isolates of Proteus to some nitrofuran drugs most widely used in the clinical practice, such as furacillin, furagin, furazolidone and nitrofurantoin was studied. When the drugs were used in combination with some bile acids, i.e. desoxycholic, dehydrocholic, cholic and glycocholic acids, significant in vitro potentiation of the antibacterial activity of the nitrofurans against the isolates was observed. The combinations of the drugs with desoxycholic acid proved to be most effective. In the presence of this acid the bacteriostatic dose of the drugs decreased several thousand times. Combination of the nitrofurans with the other acids resulted in an increase in the antimicrobial activity amounting to several hundred times. The combinations of the drugs with the bile acids had not only bacteriostatic but also bactericidal effect.     

Inhibition of conjugal transfer of R plasmids by nitrofurans

Nifurzide is a nitrofuran with antibacterial activity. As nitrofurans have been reported to interact with DNA, we tested the ability of nifurzide to inhibit plasmid transfer. Inhibition of plasmid transfer between Escherichia coli strains was obtained for ten plasmids belonging to nine incompatibility groups. The same effect was observed when plasmid RP4 was harboured in six different members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Inhibition depended on the reduction of the -NO2 group of nifurzide and was obtained with four other nitrofuran derivatives.     

Kinetic studies of four types of nitroheterocyclic radicals by pulse radiolysis. Correlation of pharmacological properties to decay rates

The chemical properties of the nitro radical of four types of nitroheterocyclic compounds, nitrofurans, 2-nitroimidazoles, 4(5)-nitroimidazoles, 5-nitroimidazoles, having radiosensitizing and cytotoxic properties, have been studied by pulse radiolysis. The acid-base equilibria involving the nitro radical, the imidazole ring and some residues on the heterocycle have been determined. The pH-dependence of the rate of the disproportionation reaction of the nitro radical have been extensively studied. While the nitro radical derived from nitrofurans, 4- and 5-nitroimidazoles had a second-order decay, those of the 2-nitroimidazoles were found to decay through simultaneous first-order and second-order processes. Intrinsic second-order rate constants of the decay of the radical species in its various acidic and basic forms, could be determined. The intrinsic rate constants that determine the overall decay rates in the physiologically important 6 to 7.5 pH-range could be related to the one-electron redox potential E7(1). The implication of such chemical properties to enzyme-catalyzed reduction processes and to the mechanisms of radiosensitization and cytotoxicity of nitroheterocyclic compounds are briefly discussed. Pharmacological properties such as in vitro radiosensitization efficiency or metabolic reduction rates could be related to two of the nitro radical intrinsic disproportionation rates.     

Studies on the effect of ascorbic acid and selenium on the genotoxicity of nitrofurans: nitrofurazone and furazolidone

The genotoxic properties of nitrofurazone and furazolidone were studied using the Ames test and SOS-chromotest. Both compounds were found to act as strong mutagens on the TA97 and TA102 strains of S. typhimurium and to induce the SOS-repair system in the PQ37 strain of E. coli. A good concordance was found between the mutagenic activity and the ability to induce the SOS system. Ascorbic acid and sodium selenite only very slightly lowered the genotoxic effect of the 2 nitrofurans studied both in the Ames test and in the SOS-chromotest.     

The mechanism of action of nitro-heterocyclic antimicrobial drugs. Metabolic activation by micro-organisms.

Although the target of the antimicrobial drug 1-methyl-2-nitro-5-vinylimidazole (MEV) has been shown to be DNA (Goldstein et al., 1977) the drug was ineffective in cell-free systems because it was not activated. Both the rate of metabolic activation of MEV and its antibacterial activity were increased when bacteria were grown in limiting oxygen. Mutants of Escherichia coli which were conditionally resistant to nitroimidazoles and nitrofurans were defective in drug activation. The activities of these drugs against E. coli correlated with their rates of metabolism. The antimicrobial spectrum of the drugs appeared to be related to their reducibility by different species.     

Erythrocyte membrane (Ca2++Mg2+)-ATPase in human protein-energy malnutrition

Calmodulin-free ghost membranes were prepared from erythrocytes of kwashiorkor children and from healthy children in the same age bracket. In the absence of calmodulin, the specific activity of Mg²⁺-dependent Ca²⁺-pumping ATPase (Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺-ATPase) of kwashiorkor membranes was more than 40 percent lower than the specific activity of the normal enzymes, whose maximum velocity was increased by at least four-fold by the modulator protein. In constrast, the maximum velocity of the enzymes of kwashiorkor membranes was enhanced by calmodulin by about 11/2 times the basal activity of the normal enzymes and by 2 times the basal activity of the kwashiorkor enzymes. The affinity of the pump for ATP was lower in the membranes of kwashiorkor children (K_m for ATP=30.6±2.8 M ATP) in comparison to normal membranes (K_m for ATP=21.7±2.0 M ATP). Similarly, calmodulin-affinity of the enzymes, was lower in kwashiorkor membranes than in the normal membranes irrespective of source of calmodulin. Calmodulin from haemolysates of kwashiorkor red cells activated the enzymes of normal and kwashiorkor membranes to the same degree as calmodulin partially purified from the haemolysate of healthy children. A determination of the dependence of the activity of the pump on calcium in the absence and presence of calmodulin reveals that the affinity of the kwashiorkor enzymes for Ca²⁺ is at least 70 percent lower than that of enzymes of normal membranes. Altogether, these findings suggest that the Ca²⁺-pumping ATPase of kwashiorkor membranes is less functional than the enzymes of healthy erythrocytes.     

Action of nitrofurans on E. coli: mutation and induction and repair of daughter-strand gaps in DNA.

The antibacterial and mutagenic potency of 9 nitrofurans in "treat and plate" experiments varied over almost 5 orders of magnitude. The relative toxicities were as follows: FANFT greater than AF2 greater than ANFT greather than furazolidone greater than furagin greater than nitrofurantoin greater than nitrofurazone greater than methylnitrofuroate greater than nitrofuroic acid. In general, mutagenic activity paralleled toxicity. The compounds at concentrations corresponding to their LD50's, induced mutations at frequencies which ranged from 2.5/10(6) survivors for FANFT to 130/10(6) survivors for furagin (NF416). The observed differences in antibacterial and mutagenic activity are unlikely to be due to lack of activation of the weaker agents since the two most potent agents were reduced somewhat more slowly than many of the less active agents. The relative sensitivities to the antibacterial effects of AF2 of strains WP2, WP2 uvrA, CM561 (lexA) and CM571 (recA) were 1 : 1.6 : 3 : 7 and to nitrofurazone 1 : 1 : 25 : 50. The wvrA strain was 6--7-fold more mutable with both these agents than was WP2. No increase over the spontaneous mutation frequency was observed when recA or lexA strains were exposed to either AF2 or nitrofurazone in these experiments. When wild-type of wvrA bacteria containing nitrofuran-induced lesions replicated their DNA in drug-free medium in the presence of [3H]thymidine for 5 min, the label was found in low molecular weight DNA indicating that daughter-strand gaps were formed. During subsequent incubation in nonradioactive medium the molecular weight of the DNA increased to the control value. A recA strain (which was very sensitive to the lethal effects of AF2 and nitrofurazone) lacked the ability to repair daughter-strand gaps caused by nitrofuran-induced lesions.