Iwai Noritaka, Ebata Takuma, Nagura Hirokatsu, Kitazume Tomoya, Nagai Kazuo, Wachi Masaaki
Department of Bioengineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2004 Nov;68(11):2265-9. doi: 10.1271/bbb.68.2265.
We have previously reported that a novel S-benzylisothiourea derivative, S-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)isothiourea, tentatively named A22, induced spherical cells in Escherichia coli. To elucidate the structural element(s) required for inducing these spherical cells, the biological activity of S-benzylisothiourea derivatives and related compounds toward E. coli cells was investigated. S-(4-Chlorobenzyl)isothiourea revealed spherical cell-inducing activity, although being slightly less potent than A22, and S-benzylisothiourea itself showed much less activity. S-Cyclohexylmethylisothiourea did not show antibacterial activity and had little effect on the cell shape. S-Heptylisothiourea showed antibacterial activity and induced elongated cells rather than spherical cells. Benzylisothiocyanate inhibited cell growth but did not induce spherical cells. S-Ethylisothiourea, benzylthiocyanate, benzylisocyanate, and N-phenylthiourea did not show any activity under the present experimental conditions. These results indicate that the S-benzylisothiourea structure was necessary and sufficient for inducing spherical cells and that 3- and/or 4-chloro-substitution of the S-benzyl group enhanced this activity.
我们之前报道过，一种新型的S-苄基异硫脲衍生物，即S-(3,4-二氯苄基)异硫脲，暂命名为A22，可在大肠杆菌中诱导形成球形细胞。为了阐明诱导这些球形细胞所需的结构要素，我们研究了S-苄基异硫脲衍生物及相关化合物对大肠杆菌细胞的生物活性。S-(4-氯苄基)异硫脲显示出诱导球形细胞的活性，尽管其效力略低于A22，而S-苄基异硫脲本身的活性则低得多。S-环己基甲基异硫脲没有显示出抗菌活性，对细胞形态也几乎没有影响。S-庚基异硫脲显示出抗菌活性，并诱导细胞伸长而非形成球形细胞。苄基异硫氰酸酯抑制细胞生长，但不诱导球形细胞形成。在本实验条件下，S-乙基异硫脲、苄基硫氰酸酯、苄基异氰酸酯和N-苯基硫脲均未显示出任何活性。这些结果表明，S-苄基异硫脲结构对于诱导球形细胞是必要且充分的，并且S-苄基的3-和/或4-氯取代增强了这种活性。
