After reading this reply, below, I too looked in Pub Med and found 20
references to caffeine, DNA and bacteria. My reading of the
abstracts, i.e. Prog. Clin Biol. Res 1990; 340A:179, seems to indicate
that DNA is not the target of caffeine, but rather that when DNA has
been damaged, as by UV irradiation, the process of repair of the DNA
is inhibited through the interaction of caffeine with one of the
subunits of the enzymatic DNA repair system in E. coli. If true, the
addition of caffeine to a microbe will cause no DNA damage. And if
the expeiment involves the UV irradiation of E. coli in the presence
and absence of caffeine, then if DNA repair is impaired by caffeine,
a higher rate of mutation might be expected to be found in that case.
Tom McCloud
On Fri, 22 Sep 2000 11:25:00 +0100, "Derek Law" <dlaw at idgplc.com>
wrote:
>I have just carried out a quick serach on MedLine using caffeine and E.
>coli as the serach parameters, there are numerous papers from the early 90's
>describing effects of caffeine on DNA damage and inhibition of DNA repair in
>E. coli. This is the sort of information that Justin was looking for. I am
>not sure what concentrations of caffeine exert these effects but they are
>likely to be higher than those encountered from normal caffeine intake.
>>Hope this is helpful
>>Derek Law
>>IDG (UK)
>>>>Derek Law <dlaw at idgplc.com> wrote in message
>news:5jGy5.3070$He3.48735 at news2-win.server.ntlworld.com...>> Several different caffeine containing culture media have been described
>for
>> Cryptococci. On these media Cryptococci produce brownish pigmentation
>which
>> allows differentation from other yeasts.
>>>> I don't think that caffeine has any antibacterial ( or antifungal
>effects).
>>>> Derek Law
>>>> Company Microbiologist
>>>> IDG (UK)
>>>> Patrick Druggan <Patrick.Druggan at btinternet.com> wrote in message
>> news:8qe1rm$omo$1 at uranium.btinternet.com...>> > The function of the caffeic acid is the Crytococcus medium is as a
>> > diagnostic reagent. Cryptococcus polymerise caffeic acid to a polyphenol
>> (I
>> > think!) Pd.
>> >
>> >
>> > "lamb" <L.A.M.Buisman at cable.A2000.nl> wrote in message
>> > news:39C7CE5B.E244C6A5 at cable.A2000.nl...>> > > I saw a formula a few years ago for a more or less selective
>> > > Cryptococcus medium.
>> > > One of the ingredients was caffein. I don't know whatfor, but maybe
>> > > antibacterial?
>> > >
>> > > Loes
>> > >
>> > > Danny White wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > why would caffeine attack bacteria?
>> > > >
>> > > > "Justin Ketchum" <jesuslover134 at yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> > > > news:20000919154143.23950.qmail at web3206.mail.yahoo.com...>> > > > > Hi... I'm doing a research project on Caffeine as a
>> > > > > DNA targeting antibioitc for Antibiotic Resistant
>> > > > > bacteria. I would like to know if anyone knows
>> > > > > anything about caffeine and it's effects on bacterial
>> > > > > chromosomes that might help me. Thank you. R.S.V.P ASAP!!!
>> > > > >
>> > > > > __________________________________________________
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>> > > > > ---
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>>>>>
