methimazole and 2-aminofluorene

Using specific monooxygenase and oxidase inhibitors in a plant cell/microbe coincubation assay, the biochemical mechanisms of the plant activation of two aromatic amines were compared. The biological endpoints included mutation induction, inhibition of mutagenicity, viability of the plant cells (activating system), and viability of the microbial cells (genetic indicator organism). The activation of m-phenylenediamine by TX1 cells was mediated by enzyme systems that were inhibited by diethyldithiocarbamate, potassium cyanide, methimazole, (+)-catechin or acetaminophen. The inhibition by metyrapone was attended by toxicity in the plant cells. These data implicate a TX1 cell peroxidase and a FAD-dependent monooxygenase in the plant activation of m-phenylenediamine. The TX1 cell activation of 2-aminofluorene was inhibited by diethyldithiocarbamate, 7,8-benzoflavone, acetaminophen or (+)-catechin. An additional pathway of the plant cells in the activation of 2-aminofluorene may involve a cytochrome P-448-type N-hydroxylase.

Topics: Acetaminophen; Benzoflavones; Biotransformation; Catechin; Cell Line; Ditiocarb; Fluorenes; Methimazole; Metyrapone; Mutagens; Mutation; Nicotiana; Oxidoreductases; Oxygenases; Phenylenediamines; Plants, Toxic; Potassium Cyanide

Using specific inhibitors, a plant cell/microbe coincubation assay was employed to investigate biochemical mechanisms of plant activation. The biological endpoints of mutation induction, inhibition of mutagenicity and viability of the plant-activating system as well as viability of the microbiological indicator were simultaneously assayed from the same reaction tube. We investigated six inhibitors of monooxygenases and oxidases (diethyldithiocarbamate, methimazole, metyrapone, (+)-catechin, 7,8-benzoflavone and potassium cyanide). The activation of 2-aminofluorene by TX1 cells was mediated by an enzyme system(s) that was inhibited by microM amounts of diethyldithiocarbamate or 7,8-benzoflavone. (+)-Catechin (at low concentrations) or methimazole enhanced the activation of 2-aminofluorene while higher concentrations of (+)-catechin were inhibitory. These data indicate that a significant pathway of the plant activation of 2-aminofluorene is via a cytochrome P-448-type N-hydroxylase. The presence of a FAD-dependent monooxygenase was not detected.

Topics: Benzoflavones; Biotransformation; Catechin; Ditiocarb; Fluorenes; Methimazole; Metyrapone; Mixed Function Oxygenases; Mutagenicity Tests; Plants; Potassium Cyanide; Salmonella typhimurium