Effect of quinacrine treatment on the activity of acid hydrolases (phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, glucosidase, galactosidase and esterase) in Tetrahymena.

The effect of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, quinacrine, on the activity of hydrolytic enzymes in Tetrahymena pyriformis homogenate, was investigated. The activity of all of the enzymes studied (acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-glusosaminidase, glucosidase, galactosidase and esterase) was significantly reduced in the presence of quinacrine. Since there are no data on the inhibitory effect of PLA2 and PLA2 influenced metabolic pathways to the hydrolytic enzymes, the direct effect of quinacrine on the hydrolytic enzymes (of Tetrahymena) can be supposed. This is supported by the fact that the other PLA2 inhibitor, 4-bromophenacyl bromide, did not influence phosphatase activity.