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Calcium channel blockers inhibit bacterial chemotaxis
Author(s) -
Matsushita Taku,
Hirata Hajime,
Kusaka Iwao
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(88)80072-3
Subject(s) - chemotaxis , verapamil , nitrendipine , calcium channel , bacillus subtilis , motility , egta , calcium , chemistry , channel blocker , bacteria , biochemistry , pharmacology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , organic chemistry , genetics
The effect of several Ca 2+ channel blockers, which inhibit the voltage‐dependent Ca 2+ uptake in Bacillus subtilis , on chemotactic behaviour of the bacterium was studied. Nitrendipine, verapamil, LACl 3 and ω‐conotoxin were tested and these blockers inhibited chemotactic behaviour in the bacterium toward L‐alanine. Among these blockers, ω‐conotoxin was the most effective inhibitor of chemotaxis. EGTA was also as effective as ω‐conotoxin. In contrast, these blockers, did not inhibit the motility and the growth of the bacterium. These results suggest that internal Ca 2+ plays an important role in the sensory system of bacterial chemotaxis.