Chloride channel antagonists perturb growth and morphology of Neurospora crassa

The chloride channel antagonists anthracene-9-carboxylic acid, ethacrynic a cid and niflumic acid were found to be fungistatic and morphogenic when tes ted against the ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Potency increased with decrea sing pH, suggesting that the protonated forms of the compounds were active. Niflumic acid produced the most pronounced growth aberrations which may re flect an ability to acidify the cytoplasm and block the plasma membrane ani on channel of N. crassa. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiological So cieties. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.