Cytotoxic and cytolytic activity of nonadecafluoro-n-decanoic acid on Acholeplasma laidlawii

Abstract

We studied the interactions between the perfluorinated fatty acid nonadecafluoro-n-decanoic acid (NDFDA) and the cell wall-less procaryote Acholeplasma laidlawii, which were cultured in an identical medium base but with different serum supplements. When grown in mycoplasma media supplemented with PPLO serum fraction (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.), A. laidlawii was rapidly killed by low concentrations of toxicant (<1.0 mM). At higher concentrations (>10 mM), NDFDA treatment appeared to lyse cells. A. laidlawii cells grown in horse serum-supplemented mycoplasma media were both killed and lysed at the same NDFDA concentration (>10 mM). These data suggest that this perfluorinated fatty acid can be cytotoxic and cytolytic to mycoplasmas. Changes in active concentrations occurred in parallel with changes in growth medium serum supplementation, which is known to alter mycoplasma membrane composition. We propose that NDFDA interacts with the membranes of A. laidlawii cells, resulting in cell death or cell lysis or both.

Membrane Alterations Following Toxic Chemical Insult.

“…In addition, alterations in polypeptide profiles due to treatment with the perfluorinated fatty acids were not similar to those seen when proteinase K was used to treat the cells (Liss et al, 1987).…”

“…Using the same concentrations of NDFDA and PFOA, 11i. capricolum and N. qallinarum polypeptide profiles were also changed as if treated with a classical detergent (Liss et al , 1987).…”

“…The established minimum toxic concentration of both capric acid and NDFDA was the same ( 2.5 mM wher, M. capricolum was the test organism. When M. gallinarum was the test organism, it appeared that capric acid was more toxic than was rJDFDA (5.0 mM as compared to 2.5 mH) (Liss et al, 1987).…”

“…For Acholeplasma laidlawii propagated under low cholesterol growth *:onditions (supplemented with serum fraction), the minimum inhibiting coricentration of capric acid and NDFDA were determined to be 2.5 mM arid .5 mM , respectively. When A. laidlawii was supplemented with horse serua (which increases the cholesterol content in the membranes) the ,i,inimum inhibitory concentrations were observed to be 5.0 mH for capric acid and 2.5 mM for NDFDA (Liss et al, 1987).…”