Increase of fungitoxicity of mercuric chloride by methionine, ethionine and s methylcysteine
article
The fungitoxicity of mercuric chloride to Aspergillus niger was increased in the presence of D-, L-, DL-methionine, DL-ethionine, DL-S-methylcysteine or sodium methylmercaptide. The same effect was observed with methionine for two other fungi investigated: Cladosporium cucumerinum and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. It is suggested that this effect can be ascribed to the formation of CH3SHg+ or (CH3S)2Hg, or the corresponding ethyl compounds. CH3SHgCl and (CH3S)2Hg were synthetically prepared and proved indeed far more fungitoxic than HgCl2. The hypothesis was further substantiated by the observation that A. niger rapidly converts DL-methionine into CH3SH, which undoubtedly reacts with Hg2+ to give the above mentioned methylthiomercury compounds. Chemicals/CAS: cystathionine, 56-88-2; cysteine, 4371-52-2, 52-89-1, 52-90-4; dimethyl sulfide, 75-18-3; ethionine, 13073-35-3, 67-21-0; homocysteine, 454-28-4, 6027-13-0; mercurous chloride, 10112-91-1, 7546-30-7; methionine sulfone, 1118-85-0, 7314-32-1; methionine sulfoxide, 454-41-1; methionine, 59-51-8, 63-68-3, 7005-18-7; s methylcysteine, 7728-98-5; Antifungal Agents; Cysteine, 52-90-4; Ethionine, 13073-35-3; Mercury, 7439-97-6; Methionine, 63-68-3; Sulfhydryl Compounds
Topics
Butyric acid derivativeCystathionineCysteineDimethyl sulfideEthionineHomocysteineMercurous chlorideMethionineMethionine sulfonemethionine sulfoxideS methylcysteine3 methylcytidineAspergillus nigerCladosporiumCladosporium cucumerinumDrug potentiationEnvironmental healthFungitoxicityMethylmercury sulfideMicroorganismPropylamine derivativeScopulariopsisScopulariopsis brevicaulisTheoretical studyAntifungal AgentsAspergillusBacillus subtilisCysteineDrug SynergismEthionineKlebsiellaMercuryMethionineMethylationMitosporic FungiPenicilliumSulfhydryl Compounds
TNO Identifier
227680
ISSN
00036072
Source
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology, 40(3), pp. 393-400.
Pages
393-400
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