TY - JOUR T1 - Fatty Acid-Conjugated Polyamines that Alter Cell Permeability and Active Transport Properties of <em>Escherichia coil</em> JF - Molecular Pharmacology JO - Mol Pharmacol SP - 300 LP - 302 VL - 5 IS - 3 AU - SIMON SILVER AU - MARY LEE KRALOVIC Y1 - 1969/05/01 UR - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/5/3/300.abstract N2 - A class of plant alkaloid tumor inhibitors were described by Kupchan et al. [J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 89, 5718 (1967)] which are N-acyltriamines (fatty acid-conjugated aliphatic triamines). These substances are also growth-inhibitory for Escherichia coil at very low concentrations. The mode of action of the triamines appears to be disruption of surface properties (the cells do not lyse), since at inhibitory concentrations the cells become leaky and lose radioactive potassium and thiomethyl galactoside. The specific energy-dependent accumulation of potassium and thiomethyl galactoside is also inhibited. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful to Drs. H. R. Mahler and M. B. Baylor for telling us about the N-acyltriamines, and to Dr. S. M. Kupchan for providing them. Mrs. Geraldine Knuckles assisted in the experiments. ER -