Summary
Fifty fungi and two Streptomyces species were screened for their ability to metabolise the probe substrates aminopyrine, diazepam, testosterone, theophylline and warfarin. The metabolism of the 14C-labelled substrates by whole growing cells was compared with that by rat liver microsomes using TLC-autoradiography. Testosterone, warfarin and diazepam were readily metabolised by most microorganisms, and aminopyrine and theophylline were only metabolised by a few. A relationship between substrate lipophilicity and number of microorganisms able to biotransform the substrate was observed, lipophilic substrates being favoured for metabolism, analogous to mammalian cytochrome P-450. A wide variety of metabolites were produced by the screened cultures, with a significant number co-chromatographing with mammalian metabolites. Most microorganisms appeared to exhibit cytochrome P-450-type oxidative reactions such as hydroxylation and N-demethylation, similar to mammalian hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 systems.
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Griffiths, D.A., Best, D.J. & Jezequel, S.G. The screening of selected microorganisms for use as models of mammalian drug metabolism. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 373–381 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172729
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00172729