Arabinosyl nucleosides inhibit Toxoplasma gondii and allow the selection of resistant mutants

J Parasitol. 1976 Dec;62(6):993-9.

Abstract

Adenine arabinoside, which inhibits the synthesis of DNA by intracellular Toxoplasma gondii, is more inhibitory to the parasite than it is to cultured human fibroblast host cells. A single-step mutant of T. gondii that is 50-fold more resistant to adenine arabinoside was isolated after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Cytosine arabinoside is notably more inhibitory to cultured human cells than it is to T. gondii. Thus in infected cells treated with cytosine arabinoside and labeled with 3H-deoxyuridine nearly all of the label is specifically incorporated into the intracellular T. gondii.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytarabine / pharmacology*
  • DNA / biosynthesis
  • Deoxyuridine / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance
  • Mutation*
  • RNA / biosynthesis
  • Thymidine / metabolism
  • Toxoplasma / drug effects*
  • Toxoplasma / growth & development
  • Toxoplasma / metabolism
  • Vidarabine / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Cytarabine
  • RNA
  • DNA
  • Vidarabine
  • Thymidine
  • Deoxyuridine