1. Mitotic inhibitors arrest the growth of Plasmodium falciparum
- Author
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E.A. Usanga, Estella O'Brien, and L. Luzzato
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Plasmodium falciparum ,Mutant ,Biophysics ,Mitosis ,Vinblastine ,Biochemistry ,Schizogony ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Structural Biology ,parasitic diseases ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Molecular Biology ,Colcemid ,biology ,Demecolcine ,Chloroquine ,Cell Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Virology ,Molecular biology ,Mitotic inhibitor ,Kinetics ,chemistry ,Vincristine ,Protozoa ,Malaria (P. falciparum) VinblastineTubulin ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Department of Haematology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Ducane Road, London WI2 OHS, England Received 13 October 1986 We report that the mitotic inhibitor, vinblastin (VLB), is highly toxic to the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. In cultures in vitro growth is inhibited by SO$ at a VLB level of about 28 nM, and totally abol- ished at a level of 100 nM. By tests on synchronized cultures we have found that the effect of VLB takes place at the trophozoite stage. Colcemid also inhibits schizogony with somewhat different kinetics. By mu- tagenesis with nitrosoguanidine followed by VLB selection we have isolated a VLB-resistant mutant which exhibits cross-resistance to vincristine. These data suggest a critical role of microtubules in the asexual schi- zogonic cycle of P. falciparum. Malaria (P. falciparum) Vinblastine Tub&n
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