Mefloquine: an antimalarial drug interacting with the b/c region of bacterial respiratory chains

AbstractThe effects of mefloquine, a quinoline-4-methanol antimalarial drug, on respiration by various bacterial strains endowed with branched electron transport pathways, have been examined. It is concluded that mefloquine strongly interacts with cytochrome b in the b/c segment of the chain. Unlike myxothiazol, mefloquine does not inhibit oxidant-induced b-type reduction but does induce an extra cytochrome b reduction when used in combination with antimycin A. The data reported are interpreted as evidence that mefloquine inhibits a ubiquinol oxidase site in common to both the alternative oxidase and the b/c oxidoreductase complex of the chain