Cercospora beticola toxins. Part XVII. The role of the beticolin/Mg2+ complexes in their biological activity Study of plasma membrane H+-ATPase, vacuolar H+-PPase, alkaline and acid phosphatases

Beticolin-1 and beticolin-2, yellow toxins produced by the phytopathogenic fungus Cercospora beticola, inhibit the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. Firstly, since beticolins are able to form complexes with Mg2+, the role of the beticolin/Mg2+ complexes in the inhibition of the plasma membrane proton pump has been investigated. Calculations indicate that beticolins could exist under several forms, in the H(+)-ATPase assay mixture, both free or complexed with Mg2+. However, the percentage inhibition of the H(+)-ATPase activity is correlated to the concentration of one single form of beticolin, the dimeric neutral complex Mg2H2B2, which appears to be the active form involved in the H(+)-ATPase inh…