Evaluation of the mutagenic activity of leucinostatins, a novel class of antibiotic peptides produced by Paecilomyces marquandii, in the modul Aspergillus nidulans.

Leucinostatins A, B, C, D, E, G, H, and K were thoroughly investigated for their genotoxic activity using the modul Aspergillus nidulans as the test organism. The results of assays for gene mutation (8-azaguanine resistance and methionine suppressors), gene conversion, mitotic crossing-over and mitotic aneuploidy induction suggest that these peptide antibiotics lack significant mutagenicity and that non-genotoxic mechanism(s) underlie their cytotoxic properties.