INHIBITORY EFFECT OF AMINES ON POLAR FILAMENT EXTRUSION BY PLISTOPHORA-ANGUILLARUM SPORES

In in vitro tests, amines were screened for the inhibition of polar filament extrusion by spores of Plistophora anguillarum, a microsporidian parasite of the eel. Primary amines having C 8 - C 18 alkyl chains were effective, irrespective of the anions bound. Secondary amines having a branched C 8 chain and tertiary amines having C 14-C 18 chains were also effective. Asymmetry in side chains seemed to be required for inhibitory action. Quaternary ammonium salts having C 12-C 16 alkyl chains and some germicides or disinfectants such as cetyl pyridinium chloride and benzethonium chloride were also effective. Diamines and amides were ineffective regardless of the length of their alkyl chins. In in vivo tests, eel larvae-fed for 4 days with a commercial feed supplemented with 5×10 8 cells of spores and 4g of laurylamine aspartate/100 g feed, and thereafter with the usual commercial feed for 26 days-were not infected. © 1979 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.