Ofloxacin induces cytoplasmic respiration-deficient mutants in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ofloxacin, a new quinolone with potent antibacterial activity, was also found to be effective against yeast. At relatively high concentrations, and at mild alkaline pH, ofloxacin inhibited the growth of yeast cells in medium containing glucose, and prevented growth on glycerol, as carbon and energy source. The cells growing in the presence of ofloxacin exhibited abberrantly budded forms, lost their viability and many of them converted to cytoplasmic respiration-deficient mutants. Induction of mutants was also observed under non-growing conditions. The petite clones analysed exhibited suppressiveness and contained different fragments of the wild-type mitochondrial genome.