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PubMed1988

Suppressive effect of novobiocin on the frequency of chromosome-type aberrations induced by ara C in the G1 phase of human lymphocytes.

1-beta-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara C) induces chromosome-type aberrations in mammalian cells by inhibiting repair replication in the G1 phase. The effect of novobiocin, an inhibitor of prokaryotic gyrases, on G1 repair in human cells was studied cytogenetically using this characteristic of ara C. The experiment was based on the assumption that if novobiocin inhibits the relaxation of chromatin required prior to repair replication, it would reduce the frequency of chromosome-type aberrations in cells treated with a mutagen followed by posttreatment with ara C. It has also been shown that in lymphocytes ara C induces chromosome-type aberrations which were not caused by any induced DNA lesion, and that the frequency of these aberrations changes with the age of the blood donor. The effect of novobiocin on the frequency of chromosome-type aberrations induced by ara C in lymphocytes without mutagen pretreatment was also investigated for blood samples from donors of different ages. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes, which were either untreated of treated with 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4NQO) or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), were posttreated in their early G1 phase with ara C only or ara C and novobiocin. The resulting chromosome-type aberrations were observed in cells in their first mitoses, and a comparison was made between the frequency of aberrations occurring in the presence of novobiocin and in its absence. The results showed that novobiocin reduced the frequency of chromosome-type aberrations induced by ara C in both mutagen-pretreated and -non-pretreated cells, and that lymphocytes from younger donors were less sensitive to novobiocin. The present study demonstrated cytogenetically the existence of a novobiocin-sensitive process to induce chromosome recombination in G1 lymphocytes.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed2003

Addition of Novobiocin in pre-enrichment step can improve Salmonella culture protocol of modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis.

The aim was to investigate the effect of addition of Novobiocin to the non-selective buffered peptone water (BPW) for pre-enrichment of Salmonella in connection with plating on modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis (MSRV). In a semi-quantitative study, the level of Salmonella following pre-enrichment of 32 presumably naturally contaminated swine fecal samples were assessed for BPW with and without addition of Novobiocin (22 microg/ml). In another experiment, a total of 400 swine fecal samples were screened for the presence of Salmonella spp., in order to compare the performance of the non-selective pre-enrichment broth with BPW made semi-selective by addition of Novobiocin. The semi-quantitative assessment of the Salmonella level showed that addition of Novobiocin in the pre-enrichment step on average increased the level of Salmonella 1.2 log dilution steps. When growth was scored at five levels, 90 samples opposed to 50 yielded a strong positive reading (+++) when Novobiocin was applied. Growth was on average 0.3 scores higher when pre-enriched with Novobiocin. The difference in growth score medians of the two methods was highly significant (Sign test; p<0.001). Despite the increased sensitivity, 13 culture-positive samples were missed when using the Novobiocin-containing BPW. In conclusion, a simple addition of Novobiocin in the BPW pre-enrichment step of fecal samples may facilitate reading and thereby detection of Salmonella on MSRV. The increase of Salmonella in the semi-quantitative study may be caused by a reduction in the number of competitive microorganisms.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Adaptive acquisition of novobiocin resistance in Pasteurella multocida strains of avian origin.

Naturally occurring strains of Pasteurella multocida are atypically susceptible to hydrophobic antibiotics such as novobiocin, despite their Gram-negative cell envelope ultrastructure. Four strains adaptively resistant to 1000 micrograms/ml of novobiocin were obtained by sequentially subculturing cell surface hydrophobic variants of avian origin in the presence of increasing antibiotic concentrations. Adaptive novobiocin resistance was accompanied in all cases by the concomitant acquisition of resistance to coumermycin, a hydrophobic antibiotic possessing the same mechanism of action, but not to the functionally disparate hydrophobic antibiotic rifamycin. The acquisition of resistance was not accompanied by alterations in the lipid composition of the cell envelope. Subsequent growth of adaptively resistant strains in the absence of novobiocin did not result in the restoration of susceptibility to either novobiocin or coumermycin. Acquisition of adaptive resistance in encapsulated parental strains resulted in an inability to synthesize capsular material and enhanced cell surface hydrophobicity; however, parental encapsulation and decreased cell surface hydrophobicity were restored upon removal of novobiocin. These data suggest that acquisition of adaptive resistance to novobiocin conferred in this manner is the result of a stable genetic event affecting the mechanistic target of both novobiocin and coumermycin rather than a physiological adaptation involving outer membrane impermeability.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1987

Direct inhibition of u.v.-induced DNA excision repair in human cells by novobiocin, coumermycin and nalidixic acid.

In permeable human fibroblasts, novobiocin, coumermycin and nalidixic acid completely inhibit u.v.-induced DNA repair synthesis, with 50% inhibition occurring at 500, 24 and 8800 microM respectively. Novobiocin also inhibits damage-specific incision of DNA in u.v.-irradiated permeable human fibroblasts by at least 75%. It has been suggested that effects of novobiocin on DNA excision repair result from changes in ATP pools; this explanation is not applicable to our data because excision repair in the permeable cell system is entirely dependent on exogenous ATP. It has also been suggested that novobiocin-induced inhibition of repair is mediated by alterations of chromatin structure recognizable by electron microscopy as gross chromatin clumping. There were no ultrastructural alterations, however, in the nuclei of permeable cells that had been incubated with 1 mM novobiocin. We conclude that, in human cells, novobiocin, coumermycin, and nalidixic acid directly inhibit the excision repair of u.v. damage to DNA, and that one locus of inhibition lies at or before the incision step. Because 1 mM novobiocin completely abolishes u.v.-induced repair synthesis in permeable cells, but inhibits damage-specific incision by only 75%, there seems to be a second site of inhibition following the incision step. The similarity between the concentrations of novobiocin, nalidixic acid and coumermycin required to inhibit u.v.-induced excision repair and the concentrations required to inhibit human DNA polymerase alpha suggest that the distal locus of inhibition may be DNA polymerase alpha-mediated repair patch synthesis. The proximal inhibitory site may be a type II DNA topoisomerase.

Aminocoumarins↗
PubMed1986

Novobiocin precipitates histones at concentrations normally used to inhibit eukaryotic type II topoisomerase.

At concentrations normally used to inhibit eukaryotic type II topoisomerase activity (100-1000 micrograms/ml) novobiocin binds core histones. Approximately 15 moles of novobiocin bind per mole of histone resulting in histone precipitation from solution in either 0.15 M or 2 M NaCl. The interaction between novobiocin and proteins appears to involve arginine residues: histones H3 and H4 (13.5 and 14 mole percent arginine) are precipitated at lower novobiocin concentrations than histones H2A and H2B (9.5 and 6.5 mole percent arginine). Furthermore, polyarginine but not polyornithine competes for novobiocin in histone precipitation. Moreover, histones with arginine residues modified with 1,2-cyclohexanedione are soluble in 1000 micrograms/ml novobiocin. Because novobiocin can remove histones from solution as well as inhibit topoisomerase activity, and because both of these events can alter DNA topology, novobiocin should be used with caution in experiments designed to implicate topoisomerase activity in chromatin dynamics.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Novobiocin antagonism of amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi growing in cell-free medium.

Inhibitors of the enzyme bacterial topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase) were evaluated for activity against Trypanosoma cruzi (Brazil strain), based on the theoretical need for a topoisomerase II in the replication of the kinetoplast DNA network. Novobiocin (500 micrograms/ml) antagonized amastigotes of T. cruzi growing in a cell-free medium at 37 degrees C, as manifested by inhibition of multiplication, abnormal morphology of Giemsa-stained organisms, and delayed or absent growth of cells upon subculturing in a drug-free medium. In contrast, novobiocin (1,000 micrograms/ml) essentially had no effect on the multiplication and motility of epimastigotes growing in a cell-free medium at 27 degrees C. This resistance of epimastigotes represented a difference in the physiology of this morphologic stage and not in the temperature of experimentation, because novobiocin inhibited multiplication of amastigotes at 27 degrees C as well and accelerated transformation to epimastigotes. With T. cruzi growing within cultured human fibroblasts, novobiocin (200 micrograms/ml) markedly inhibited transformation of intracellular amastigotes to trypomastigotes. Clorobiocin, a structural analog of novobiocin and likewise an inhibitor of the B subunit of bacterial topoisomerase II, was five times more potent on a molar basis than novobiocin was in antagonism of amastigotes growing in a cell-free medium and did not antagonize epimastigotes. Coumermycin A1, another analog of novobiocin, and five 4-quinolone antibacterial agents, antagonists of the A subunit of bacterial topoisomerase II, inhibited neither amastigotes nor epimastigotes. These experiments indicate that novobiocin and clorobiocin represent a new structural class of drugs with activity against T. cruzi. Whether the mechanism of action of these drugs involves antagonism of a T. cruzi topoisomerase II or an unrelated target is yet to be determined.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Steady-state serum pharmacokinetics of novobiocin and rifampin alone and in combination.

Because of the potential of novobiocin-rifampin for oral therapy of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics of novobiocin and rifampin, alone and in combination, in a randomized, crossover, multiple-dose evaluation (500 mg of novobiocin and 300 mg of rifampin administered orally, twice a day, for 27 doses) in 10 volunteers. The half-lives of novobiocin and rifampin when administered alone were 5.85 +/- 1.20 and 1.46 +/- 0.30 h, respectively; when administered in combination, the half-lives were 2.66 +/- 0.65 and 1.43 +/- 0.29 h, respectively. This difference was significant for novobiocin. The area under the curve also differed significantly for novobiocin when administered in combination. No significant differences were seen in the maximum concentration of drug in serum, the time to maximum concentration of drug in serum, or both for either drug when single and combination therapy groups were compared. A change in clearance of novobiocin rather than a change in absorption is the more likely explanation for these findings. The mechanism remains to be elucidated. Nevertheless, the trough serum concentrations of both novobiocin and rifampin were in excess of the MIC for 90% of strains tested of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, even when coadministered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Comparison of four agar plating media with and without added novobiocin for isolation of salmonellae from beef and deboned poultry meat.

Four plating media, Hektoen enteric (HE), xylose-lysine deoxycholate (XLD), tryptic soy-xylose-lysine (TSXL), and tryptic soy-brillant green (TSBG) agars with and without 10 mg of added novobiocin per ml, were evaluated for recovery of Salmonella from roast beef and deboned turkey. Colonies producing a reaction typical of H(2)S-positive salmonellae (alkaline with black centers) were picked. On the media without novobiocin, from 109 determinations on 75 samples, number of salmonellae found and false-positives were, respectively: HE-13, 58; XLD-17, 18; TSXL-23, 0; TSBG-22, 7. When novobiocin was present the corresponding results were: HE-17, 24; XLD-21, 2; TSXL-23, 3; TSBG-20, 7. A total of 25 determinations were positive on one or more agars. False-positives on HE and XLD without novobiocin were predominantly Proteus, which were almost totally eliminated by addition of 10 mg of novobiocin per liter. If alkaline H(2)S-negative colonies had been considered, many more false-positives would have been found on HE and XLD but not on TSBG or TSXL. Addition of novobiocin markedly improved isolations of salmonellae from XLD and HE and reduced the number of false-positives. Addition of novobiocin did not improve performance of TSXL and slightly impaired differentiation of salmonellae from Citrobacter on TSBG. XLD with novobiocin and TSXL are highly specific for H(2)S-positive salmonellae, and the appearance of Salmonella-like colonies on these media can be considered a presumptive test for H(2)S-positive salmonellae.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Novobiocin sensitizes BCRP/MXR/ABCP overexpressing topotecan-resistant human breast carcinoma cells to topotecan and mitoxantrone.

BACKGROUND: Novobiocin was shown to sensitize cancer cells to etoposide and alkylating agents. Human breast carcinoma cells exposed to topotecan (MCF7/TPT300 cells) developed resistance to both mitoxantrone and topotecan. An ATP-binding cassette family protein BCRP/MXR/ABCP was overexpressed in MCF7/TPT300 cells. In addition, topotecan efflux was markedly enhanced in the resistant cells. To investigate the possibility that novobiocin may enhance cytotoxicity in BCRP/MXR/ABCP overexpressing cells, we exposed MCF7/TPT300 cells to novobiocin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytotoxicity tests of topotecan and mitoxantrone, as well as topotecan accumulation tests, were performed with or without novobiocin in MCF7/TPT300 cells. RESULTS: Novobiocin enhances topotecan and mitoxantrone toxicity in MCF7/TPT300 cells at a clinically relevant concentration. Novobiocin enhanced cellular accumulation of topotecan and inhibited topotecan efflux in MCF7/TPT300 cells. CONCLUSION: Novobiocin may enhance topotecan and mitoxantrone toxicity in topotecan-resistant breast carcinoma cells. Novobiocin may be useful to reverse topotecan or mitoxantrone resistance in the clinic.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Mem↗
PubMed1991

A phase I clinical trial of novobiocin, a modulator of alkylating agent cytotoxicity.

Antineoplastic drug resistance is a major obstacle to improved treatment of most adult cancers in humans. Novobiocin, an antibacterial agent which inhibits the eukaryotic topoisomerase II enzyme, increases the cytotoxicity of several alkylating agents in vitro by the formation of lethal DNA-DNA interstrand cross-links, perhaps by decreasing the repair of drug monoadducts. In murine tumors treated in vivo novobiocin markedly potentiates alkylating agent cytotoxicity without concomitant increases in host toxicity. With this background, a Phase I trial of novobiocin and cyclophosphamide was performed in refractory cancer patients. Novobiocin was given p.o. for 96 h; 750 mg/m2 of i.v. cyclophosphamide was administered at 48 h. Thirty-four patients received 65 courses. The dose-limiting toxicity of novobiocin in this trial was vomiting. The maximum tolerated dose was 6 g/day. Six of 34 patients had Grade III or IV mylosuppression but no dose escalation effect was noted. Three patients developed allergic reactions which resolved completely. No other significant toxicity occurred. While no dose-dependent effect on serum novobiocin levels occurred, 18 of 19 patients treated at greater than or equal to 4 g daily had serum levels greater than or equal to 100 micrograms/ml at steady state, a level which corresponds to levels used in vitro and seen in vivo where the murine novobiocin half-life of 82 min is far less than that seen in humans (6.0 h). Two of 30 evaluable patients had partial responses. Four other patients had stable disease. Four of six had prior disease progression on cyclophosphamide combination therapy. Novobiocin is well tolerated in patients receiving cyclophosphamide and blood levels are in the drug-potentiating range. Phase II trials in cyclophosphamide refractory patients are anticipated.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Reversal of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2)-mediated drug resistance by novobiocin, a coumermycin antibiotic.

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) of an ATP-binding cassette half-transporter confers resistance against mitoxantrone and camptothecin derivatives of topotecan and irinotecan. Novobiocin, a coumermycin antibiotic, is known to enhance anticancer drug sensitivity of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, the mechanism of which remains undetermined. Here we focused on drug efflux pump and examined whether novobiocin reversed drug resistance in multidrug-resistant cells highly expressing BCRP. To explore the reversal mechanisms, intracellular drug accumulation was measured by flow cytometry, and a topotecan transport study using plasma membrane vesicles was performed. We used PC-6/SN2-5H2 small cell lung cancer and MCF-7/MX breast cancer cells selected with SN-38 of the active irinotecan metabolite and mitoxantrone, respectively, and the BCRP cDNA transfectant MCF-7/clone 8 cells. These cells expressed high levels of BCRP mRNA but not other known transporters. Compared to the parental PC-6 cells, PC-6/SN2-5H2 cells were 141-, 173- and 57.2-fold resistant to topotecan, SN-38 and mitoxantrone, respectively. Novobiocin at 60 microM decreased the degree of the above resistance by approximately 26-fold in PC-6/SN2-5H2 cells, and similarly reversed resistance in MCF-7/MX, MCF-7/clone 8 and un-selected NCI-H460 cells highly expressing BCRP. Furthermore, novobiocin increased the intracellular topotecan accumulation in these cells and inhibited the topotecan transport into the membrane vesicles of PC-6/SN2-5H2 cells. No effects of novobiocin in these assay were observed in the parental PC-6 and MCF-7 cells. The kinetic parameters in the transport study indicated that novobiocin was a inhibitor for BCRP, resulting in competitive inhibition of BCRP-mediated topotecan transport. These findings suggest that novobiocin effectively overcomes BCRP-mediated drug resistance at acceptable concentrations.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Mem↗
PubMed1993

Effect of novobiocin on cisplatin cytotoxicity and DNA interstrand cross-link formation in a cisplatin-resistant, small-cell lung carcinoma cell line.

Studies were performed to determine whether novobiocin can be used to enhance cisplatin (CDDP) cytotoxicity in a human small-cell lung carcinoma cell line, GLC4/CDDP, resistant to CDDP. Continuous incubation with novobiocin enhanced the cytotoxicity of CDDP treatment 1.9-fold in the parental cell line GLC4, but had no effect on its cytotoxicity in the resistant cell line GLC4/CDDP. Short incubation with novobiocin enhanced the cytotoxicity of CDDP treatment in GLC4 and GLC4/CDDP by a factor of 4.1 and 2.8, respectively. Using the latter schedule, the amount of CDDP-induced DNA interstrand cross-links (DNA ISC) at 4 hr as well as at 24 hr after novobiocin and CDDP treatment was higher in GLC4 than in GLC4/CDDP. In this case, the amount of DNA ISC had increased 1.6-fold in GLC4 and 1.3-fold in GLC4/CDDP at 4 hr, and 2.7-fold and 1.4-fold, respectively, in these cell lines at 24 hr after treatment compared to CDDP treatment alone. Our results suggest an effect of novobiocin on the formation of DNA ISC. The decreased efficacy of novobiocin, an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase (Topo) II catalytic activity, in GLC4/CDDP may be due to the increased Topo II activity previously found in the resistant cells. In the present study, we showed that increased Topo II activity was not due to changes in amounts of Topo II in nuclei or nuclear extracts of GLC4/CDDP. Further analysis of the chromatin, that includes Topo II, showed that the chromatin in nuclei of GLC4/CDDP was more sensitive to micrococcal nuclease digestion than GLC4. In addition, the amount of a 56-kDa protein was increased 2-fold in nuclei and nuclear matrices from GLC4/CDDP. The reduced efficacy of novobiocin to increase the CDDP cytotoxicity as well as the formation of DNA ISC in GLC4/CDDP compared to GLC4 may be due to changes in the chromatin structure of the resistant cells.

Carcinoma, Small Cell↗
PubMed1987

Isolation and characterization of novobiocin-resistant BHK cells.

We isolated two novobiocin-resistant mutants which were stable and approximately three and four times more resistant than the parent cells to novobiocin. Both mutants (Novr A2, Novr A41) were more sensitive than the wild-type cells to nalidixic acid, and cold sensitive for cell growth. When we isolated derivatives of Novr A2 and Novr A41 cells which are resistant to nalidixic acid, those are found to be phenotypically reverted to novobiocin sensitivity like wild-type cells, thereby suggesting the relationship between the targets for novobiocin and for nalidixic acid. But the cold sensitivity did not always revert to wild type, with accompanying resistance to nalidixic acid. The DNA and RNA syntheses of Novr mutants were more resistant to novobiocin but more sensitive to nalidixic acid, than those of wild-type cells. However, in vitro assays of wild-type and Novr cell extracts were unable to demonstrate any differences in the sensitivity of topoisomerase II activity to inhibition by novobiocin. While the targets of novobiocin and nalidixic acid show a mutual interaction in vivo and play a role in DNA replication and transcription, our results suggest that these targets are probably not topoisomerase II.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Effect of novobiocin on the frequencies of chromatid-type aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges following gamma-irradiation.

The effect of novobiocin on the frequencies of chromatid-type aberrations and SCEs was examined in Chinese hamster V79 cells which were exposed to gamma-rays and post-treated with novobiocin. While no chromatid aberrations were induced in the unirradiated cells by novobiocin, the frequency of SCEs was slightly increased by treatment with novobiocin alone. Irradiation of G2 cells produced multiple chromatid-type aberrations and post-treatment of the irradiated cells with novobiocin resulted in a significant increase of the aberrations, including chromatid gaps and breaks. In contrast, novobiocin failed to increase the frequency of SCEs induced by gamma-rays when the irradiated cells were post-treated with novobiocin.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Novobiocin inhibits both UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and cytochrome P450-mediated enzyme activities in pig liver microsomes.

The effects of novobiocin (range 0.0125-2 mmol/L) on the hydroxylation of testosterone, the N-demethylation of erythromycin, and the glucuronidation of alpha-naphthol and paracetamol were studied using pig hepatic microsomes, pooled from five animals. The final concentrations of these substrates in the incubation mixtures were selected to meet Vmax conditions. Novobiocin caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the glucuronidation of paracetamol; the formation of alpha-naphthol-glucuronide was reduced to a lesser degree. These results confirm and extend earlier findings in laboratory animal species that novobiocin inhibits UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UDPGTs). Moreover, novobiocin strongly inhibited 6 beta-hydroxylation of testosterone. The microsomal N-demethylation of erythromycin and hydroxylation of testosterone at the 15 alpha position were less affected by novobiocin. These results suggest that novobiocin inhibits not only UDPGTs, but also cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activities, probably those belonging to the CYP3A subfamily. More research is needed to reveal which CYPs and UDPGTs are affected by novobiocin in vivo, in order to improve the understanding the probably the predictability of potential drug interactions with this antibiotic.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed2006

Modulation of chaperone function and cochaperone interaction by novobiocin in the C-terminal domain of Hsp90: evidence that coumarin antibiotics disrupt Hsp90 dimerization.

The C-terminal domain of Hsp90 displays independent chaperone activity, mediates dimerization, and contains the MEEVD motif essential for interaction with tetratricopeptide repeat-containing immunophilin cochaperones assembled in mature steroid receptor complexes. An alpha-helical region, upstream of the MEEVD peptide, helps form the dimerization interface and includes a hydrophobic microdomain that contributes to the Hsp90 interaction with the immunophilin cochaperones and corresponds to the binding site for novobiocin, a coumarin-related Hsp90 inhibitor. Mutation of selected residues within the hydrophobic microdomain significantly impacted the chaperone function of a recombinant C-terminal Hsp90 fragment and novobiocin inhibited wild-type chaperone activity. Prior incubation of the Hsp90 fragment with novobiocin led to a direct blockade of immunophilin cochaperone binding. However, the drug had little influence on the pre-formed Hsp90-immunophilin complex, suggesting that bound cochaperones mask the novobiocin-binding site. We observed a differential effect of the drug on Hsp90-immunophilin interaction, suggesting that the immunophilins make distinct contacts within the C-terminal domain to specifically modulate Hsp90 function. Novobiocin also precluded the interaction of full-length Hsp90 with the p50(cdc37) cochaperone, which targets the N-terminal nucleotide-binding domain, and is prevalent in Hsp90 complexes with protein kinase substrates. Novobiocin therefore acts locally and allosterically to induce conformational changes within multiple regions of the Hsp90 protein. We provide evidence that coumermycin A1, a coumarin structurally related to novobiocin, interferes with dimerization of the Hsp90 C-terminal domain. Coumarin-based inhibitors then may antagonize Hsp90 function by inducing a conformation favoring separation of the C-terminal domains and release of substrate.

Alanine↗
PubMed2005

NovG, a DNA-binding protein acting as a positive regulator of novobiocin biosynthesis.

The biosynthetic gene cluster of the aminocoumarin antibiotic novobiocin contains two putative regulatory genes, i.e. novE and novG. The predicted gene product of novG shows a putative helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif and shares sequence similarity with StrR, a well-studied pathway-specific transcriptional activator of streptomycin biosynthesis. Here functional proof is provided, by genetic and biochemical approaches, for the role of NovG as a positive regulator of novobiocin biosynthesis. The entire novobiocin cluster of the producer organism Streptomyces spheroides was expressed in the heterologous host Streptomyces coelicolor M512, and additional strains were produced which lacked the novG gene within the heterologously expressed cluster. These Delta novG strains produced only 2% of the novobiocin formed by the S. coelicolor M512 strains carrying the intact novobiocin cluster. The production could be restored by introducing an intact copy of novG into the mutant. The presence of novG on a multicopy plasmid in the strain containing the intact cluster led to almost threefold overproduction of the antibiotic, suggesting that novobiocin biosynthesis is limited by the availability of NovG protein. Furthermore, purified N-terminal His(6)-tagged NovG showed specific DNA-binding activity for the novG-novH and the cloG-cloY intergenic regions of the novobiocin and clorobiocin biosynthetic gene clusters, respectively. By comparing the DNA sequences of the fragments binding NovG, conserved inverted repeats were identified in both fragments, similar to those identified as the binding sites for StrR. The consensus sequence for the StrR and the putative NovG binding sites was GTTCRACTG(N)(11)CRGTYGAAC. Therefore, NovG and StrR apparently belong to the same family of DNA-binding regulatory proteins.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Novobiocin-induced ultrastructural changes and antagonism of DNA synthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes growing in cell-free medium.

The antimicrobial agent novobiocin, an inhibitor of the bacterial enzyme topoisomerase II (DNA gyrase), is known to antagonize Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes growing in cell-free medium. To determine sites of antagonism of novobiocin, the effects of drug on parasite ultrastructure and incorporation of radiolabeled precursors of DNA, RNA and protein into macromolecules were determined. The predominant ultrastructural abnormality seen after exposure to 0.40 mM novobiocin for 24 h was the presence of electron-dense clumps in the mitochondrion-kinetoplast organelle in 95 of 257 (37%) of cells, in comparison to no clumps seen in 110 drug-free cells. In addition, in the nucleus, the karyosome was less distinct than in control cells and appeared to merge with the chromatin. In the radiolabeling studies, incorporation of thymidine was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by novobiocin (0.16-0.80 mM) in a range of drug concentrations that also inhibited parasite growth. For 0.16 and 0.24 mM novobiocin, incorporation of thymidine was inhibited up to 65% relative to drug-free control cells while uptake of uridine and leucine was unaltered. We interpret these ultrastructure and precursor-incorporation studies as suggesting that (i) the mitochondrion-kinetoplast and possibly the nucleus are sites of novobiocin antagonism of T. cruzi amastigotes and (ii) that novobiocin appears to antagonize DNA synthesis within these organisms. Whether the drug target is topoisomerase II, however, is as yet unknown.

Animals↗