The mechanism of action of griseofulvin

Abstract

Griseofulvin had no effect on the respiration of Botrytis cinerea but, nevertheless, inhibited growth and caused abnormal hyphal formations, including stunting, spiraling, thickening of the cell wall, and disorientation of growth. Treated cells had an increase in total deoxyribonucleic acid and phosphorus but not in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and ribonucleic acid. Griseofulvin-treated cells synthesized DNA from labelled glucose and glycine continuously and for much longer periods than control cells so that their total DNA content was greater than that in untreated cells. However, the antibiotic allowed slightly less incorporation with aspartic acid -U-14C as the precursor than the controls. Griseofulvin caused 25 to 50% increased incorporation of carbon into RNA from glucose and glycine but the increases were not due to a prolongation of the synthetic period, and again aspartic acid incorporation was slightly decreased. Griseofulvin was bound to the particulate parts of the cell and was especially high in the lipid fraction of the cell. The antibiotic was not bound to DNA or to RNA.