QUINOLONE EFFECTS IN THE SOS CHROMOTEST AND IN THE SYNTHESIS OF BIOMACROMOLECULES

The genotoxicity of quinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, na lidixic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin) was studied on the s elected mutant E. coli strain PQ 37 (SOS chromotest). The genotoxicity was expressed by SOS inducing potential (SOSIP) values. The highest S OSIP values were found with ciprofloxacin (SOSIP = 1967 Delta IF/nmol) , the lowest value was observed acids, as indicated by incorporation o f C-14-adenine into TCA-insoluble fractions of S. typhimurium cells (c iprofloxacin IC50 = 0.39, nalidixic acid IC50 = 400). DNA-damaging eff ects were tested in the absence of an exogenous metabolizing system.