Non-mutagenic genotoxicants: novobiocin and nalidixic acid, 2 inhibitors of DNA gyrase

The antimicrobial agents nalidixic acid and novobiocin, both inhibitors of DNA gyrase, preferentially inhibit the growth of DNA repair-deficient Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis. On the other hand, these agents exhibit no demonstrable mutagenicity for S. typhimurium and E. coli even when tested under conditions designed to take the metabolic properties of these agents into consideration. Novobiocin and nalidixic acid are widely used in animal and human medicine and further studies to assess their genetic and carcinogenic potentials appear to be in order.