Induction of energy metabolism related enzymes in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to ibogaine is adaptation to acute decrease in ATP energy pool.

Ibogaine, known for its anti-addictive effects, alters energy metabolism in a way that is not species- or tissue-specific. In yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) grown with 1 mg/l ibogaine for 5 hours, enzymes involved in energy production—glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, enolase, and alcohol dehydrogenase—were induced. This induction compensates for a drop in ATP levels observed after ibogaine exposure. The effect occurs without involvement of receptors, which are absent in yeast, indicating a direct metabolic influence rather than receptor-mediated action.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ibogaine has been extensively studied in the last decades in relation to its anti-addictive properties that have been repeatedly reported as being addiction interruptive and craving eliminative. In our previous study we have already demonstrated induction of energy related enzymes in rat brains treated with ibogaine at a dose of 20mg/kg i.p. 24 and 72 h prior to proteomic analysis. In this study a model organism yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cultivated with ibogaine in a concentration of 1mg/l. Energy metabolism cluster enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, enolase and alcohol dehydrogenase were induced after 5h of exposure. This is a compensation of demonstrated ATP pool decrease after ibogaine. Yeast in a stationary growth phase is an accepted model for studies of housekeeping metabolism of eukaryotes, including humans. Study showed that ibogaine's influence on metabolism is neither species nor tissue specific. Effect is not mediated by binding of ibogaine to receptors, as previously described in literature since they are lacking in this model.