Cytoxicity of vitamin C and metal ions: a site-specific Fenton mechanism. Progress report, July 1981-June 1982

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6577234

Samuni, A; Aronovitch, J; Godinger, D; Chevion, M; Czapski, G

The toxicity of ascorbate toward phages T2 through T7 has been investigated. The T-odd bacteriophages are highly susceptible to ascorbate-induced damage, whereas the t-even phages are practically resistant. The toxicity of ascorbate is dependent on the presence of copper (or iron) ions and on oxygen. The dependence on oxygen does not exist in the presence of hydrogen perioxide. Hydrogen peroxide enhances the damage and is essential for the ascorbate induced biological damage, as catalase fully protects the phages. Chelating agents such as salicylate or 1,10-phenanthroline do not prevent the damage, though they reduce the rate of phage inactivation roughly 5-fold. By contrast, EDTA or histidine fully protect the phages. OH-scavengers such as sucrose, formate, mannitol, t-BuOH or polyethylene glycol do not protect. Experiments with isotopically labeled DNA indicate that both phage adsorption to the host and the injection of its DNA are impaired as a result of the exposure to ascorbate and copper. It is also possible that some failure to express the viral genetic information contributes towards the loss of phage PFA.

• Research Organization: Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76EV03221
• OSTI ID: 6577234
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/03221-74; COO-3221-74; ON: DE83004778
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASCORBIC ACID
TOXICITY
BACTERIOPHAGES
CHELATING AGENTS
COPPER
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
INACTIVATION
OXYGEN
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PEROXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VIRUSES
VITAMINS
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)