Author/Authors :
Baeshin, N. A. King Abdulaziz University - Faculty of Science - Department of Biological Science, Saudi Arabia , Qari, S. H. Umm Al-Qura university - Teachers College - Department of Biology, Saudi Arabia , Sabir, J. S. M. Medical Biology Department - Faculty of Medicine - King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia , ALhejin, A. M. King Abdulaziz University - Faculty of Medicine - Medical Biology Department, Saudi Arabia
Abstract :
Dense conidial suspensions of Aspergillus terreus were treated with elevated concentrations of aqueous extracts of the wild plant Rhazya stricta leaves. Samples were taken at regular intervals in each treatment and assayed for survival percentage, auxotrophic mutants, quantities of DNA and total protein and farther subjected to RAPD and SDS-PAGE tests, respectively. It was found that the extract has potent lethal and mutagenic activities. Survival percentage decreased as the concentration or time of exposure increased. Frequency of auxotrophic mutants increased with increase in concentration or exposure time. Most auxotrophic mutants were amino acid requiring mutants. Quantity of DNA of each mutant was significantly less than in corresponding control and so on for total protein. The RAPD results demonstrated polymorphic numbers of genetic bands, which were the electrophoretic products of PCR for all mutants compared with the wild type strain. SDS-PAGE results expressed a polymorphism of protein bands as well. All these results strongly point out the mutagenicity of the leaves extract of R. stricta
