J. E. Page, J. Waller
Jun 22, 1946
Citations
1
Influential Citations
3
Citations
Journal
Nature
Abstract
A WIDE range of therapeutic substances(for example,arsphenamine1, 2-methyl-1: 4-naphthaquinone2, pencillin and other mould products3,4 and tervalent antimonials5)is inactivated by cysteine. Colwell and McCall2 found that cysteine antagonizes the antibacterial action of 2-methyl 2-methyl-3-chloro- and 2: 6-dimethyl-l: 4-naphthaquinone on B. coli, but not that of 2-methyl-3-methoxy-l: 4-naphthaquinone, and postulated that inactivation might be caused by reaction of the sulphydryl group from the cysteine at the 3-position of the quinone. Geiger and Conn6 have suggested a somewhat similar mechanism for the inactivation of patulin and penicillic acid.