Planta Med 2006; 72(10): 875-880
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-947167
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Dependence of Synergistic Fungicidal Activity of Cu2+ and Allicin, an Allyl Sulfur Compound from Garlic, on Selective Accumulation of the Ion in the Plasma Membrane Fraction via Allicin-Mediated Phospholipid Peroxidation

Akira Ogita1 , Ken-ichi Fujita2 , Makoto Taniguchi2 , Toshio Tanaka2
  • 1Institute for Health and Sport Sciences, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
  • 2Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

Received: March 13, 2006

Accepted: May 2, 2006

Publikationsdatum:
17. Juli 2006 (online)

Abstract

Allicin was effective in decreasing the lethal concentration of Cu2+ against various fungal strains including a plant pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum, so that the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the ion for the fungus could be reduced to 2 % of that detected without allicin. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cu2+ was not apparently taken up by cells when added alone at a non-lethal concentration, whereas the ion was efficiently incorporated into cells in the presence of allicin, as in the case of cells treated with the ion at a lethal concentration. Although allicin likely increased cellular permeability to Cu2+ due to its promotive effect on plasma membrane phospholipid peroxidation, these cell-surface events did not result in endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, a typical toxic effect of the ion. Cu2+ was detected in the cytoplasmic fraction of cells that had been treated with the ion at a lethal concentration, whereas the ion was entrapped in the plasma membrane fraction upon their treatment with the ion at a low concentration in combination with allicin. Cu2+ could be solubilized from the plasma membrane fraction by a procedure for the extraction of hydrophobic proteins rather than the extraction of phospholipids, suggesting its complexation with a plasma membrane protein as a result of allicin treatment. Such a subcellular localization of Cu2+ resulted in the selective leakage of intracellular K+, but not in the disruptive damage on the plasma membrane, and was considered to underlie the synergistic fungicidal activity of Cu2+ and allicin.

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Prof. Dr. Toshio Tanaka

Department of Biology and Geosciences

Graduate School of Science

Osaka City University

3-3-138 Sugimoto

Sumiyoshi-ku

Osaka 558-8585

Japan

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eMail: tanakato@sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp