Brugia pahangi: inhibition of protein synthesis

The effects of inhibitors of protein synthesis and electron transport on the incorporation of [14C]leucine and [35S]methionine into protein by the filarial worm Brugia pahangi have been investigated. Cycloheximide inhibits the accumulation of both [14C]leucine and [35S]methionine by the worms and their incorporation into protein. In addition, inhibitors of electron transport and some anti-parasitic compounds also significantly inhibit filarial protein synthesis. Antimycin A and cyanide inhibit [14C]leucine incorporation into protein 63 and 72%, respectively, without affecting either motility or lactate production. Interestingly, the anti-malarial compounds chloroquine and quinacrine also significantly inhibit both accumulation and incorporation of [14C]leucine by B. pahangi. In addition, fluorographs of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels of homogenates from filariids incubated in [35S]methionine and cycloheximide with and without chloramphenicol indicate that there is a discrete population of proteins, possibly mitochondrial in origin, that are synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide and are not inhibited by chloramphenicol.