Comparison of Cytocidal Activities of L-DOPA and Dopamine in S. cerevisiae and C. glabrata

Background: Parkinson's Disease results from a loss of dopaminergic neurons, and reduced levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Parkinson's Disease treatments involve increasing dopamine levels through administration of L-DOPA, which can cross the blood brain barrier and be converted to dopamine in the brain. The toxicity of dopamine has previously studied but there has been little study of L-DOPA toxicity. Methods: We have compared the toxicity of dopamine and L-DOPA in the yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida glabrata by cell viability assays, measuring colony forming units. Results: L-DOPA and dopamine caused time-dependent cell killing in Candida glabrata while only dopamine caused such effects in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The toxicity of L-DOPA is much lower than dopamine. Conclusion: Candida glabrata exhibits high sensitivity to L-DOPA and may have advantages for studying the cytotoxicity of L-DOPA.