TOXIC PROPERTIES OF BEAUVERIA PIGMENTS ON ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANES

The Beauveria pigments, tenellin, bassianin and oosporein, all inhibit ed total erythrocyte membrane ATPase activity in a dose-dependent mann er by as much as 50% at 200 mu g/ml. These pigments inhibited Ca2+-ATP ases to a greater extent than Na+/K+-ATPase activity. The ATPase inhib itory activity for these pigments was not specific but was probably a consequence of membrane disruption, since pigments all caused alterati ons in erythrocyte morphology and promoted varying degrees of cell lys is. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.