Radiometric prescreen for antitumor activity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant strain
Speedie, M.K.; Fique, D.V.; Blomster, R.N.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 18(1): 171-175
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-4804 PMID: 6998375 Document Number: 161333
After modification, a technique for radiometrically measuring bacterial growth was applied to a mutant strain of S. cerevisiae. The assay is based on inhibition of 14CO2 release from [14C]glucose, which provides an extremely sensitive measure of cellular respiratory activity and growth. The criterion for antitumor activity is the differential inhibition of wild-type and mutant (distorted cell membrane) strains of the yeast. The system was optimized for medium, time of incubation, temperature and size of inoculum. Known antitumor agents, including bleomycin, actinomycin D, adriamycin and ellipticine were tested in the system and differential inhibition was observed. Vincristine showed no inhibitory effects at the concentrations tried. The sensitivity for 20% inhibition ranged from 0.8 .mu.g of adriamycin per ml to 0.14 mg of ellipticine per ml. Antifungal agents such as amphotericin B exhibited no differential inhibition. Antibacterial agents were inactive. This method may provide a rapid, sensitive, in vitro quantitative assay for antitumor agents which could be applied to a variety of assay needs and which can be run with facilities and equipment available in most laboratories.