Triterpeneglycosides as Inhibitors of Fungal Growth and Metabolism 8. Induced Leakage of Nucleotide Materials

Addition of aescin to mycelia of Ophiobolus graminis and Neurospora crassa induced leakage of ribonucleotide material together with pentose phosphate or pentose. In O. graminis a rapid release of mono- and dinucleotides together with nucleosides and pentose occurred. In addition some oligonucleotides were released during the first 30 min of the treatment. A slow leakage of polynucleotides was also observed. In N. crassa aescin induced only slight leakage during the first hour, and the mono- and dinucleotide leakage was actually decreasing. From that time on, however, a rapid release of mono- and dinucleotides together with nucleosides and pentose phosphate or pentose was observed. Only small amounts of poly- and oligonucleotides leaked and the cell content of oligonucleotides seemed to be released only during the last hour of the treatment period. In Aspergillus niger, which was insensitive to the inhibitor, aescin only induced leakage of pentose or pentose phosphate and small amounts of mono- and dinucleotides. Loss of viability in mycelia of O. graminis and N. crassa seemed to be correlated with the loss of oligonucleotides from the cells.