Effects of the mycotoxin botryodiplodin on mammalian cells in culture.

The effects of botryodiplodia, a mycotoxin synthesized by Botryodiplodia theobromae and by some strains of Penicillium roqueforti. The toxin inhibited cell multiplication in growing cultures at concentrations which were without toxic effect on cultures nearing or at confluence. In growing cultures the toxin affected DNA, RNA and protein synthesis, the effect on DNA synthesis being the greatest. The removal of mycotoxin from the culture medium brought about partial recovery of the synthetic activities of the cells. The implications of the results with respect of the recovery of DNA synthesis are discussed.