The role of amino acids in the energy generating pathways of Litomosoides carinii

Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
K P Davies, P Köhler

Abstract

The filarial parasite Litomosoides carinii was able to survive for longer than 15 h in basic filarial medium (BFM) containing either glutamine or alanine as a sole substrate. The filariids were more motile in BFM containing glucose, but even higher motility was recorded in media containing both glucose and glutamine. Incubations under aerobic conditions showed that radiolabelled glutamine was metabolised primarily to CO2. In addition, small amounts of lactate and acetate were excreted in almost equimolar quantities. Incubations where both glutamine and glucose were present demonstrated that the glutamine carbon utilised by the parasite could be completely recovered in the above three end products. The glutamine nitrogen could be recovered in the additional excretory products, alanine and ammonia. The glutamine-dependent viability of L. carinii was affected by known inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Glucose utilisation, and the production of CO2 from this substrate, were greatly stimulated by the presence of glutamine in the external medium. Various carbon balance studies, in conjunction with enzymatic analyses, suggest that in L. carinii, glutamine provides an input of carbon into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) c...Continue Reading

References

Apr 1, 1989·Parasitology·J C Comley, M J Rees
Sep 1, 1986·Journal of Biochemical Toxicology·C K KellingR E Peterson
Oct 1, 1985·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·P Köhler
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Nov 1, 1972·International Journal for Parasitology·J I BruceJ K Werner
Jan 1, 1949·The Journal of Experimental Medicine·E BUEDING

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Citations

Apr 1, 1992·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·R KomunieckiA H Fairlamb
Jan 1, 1991·Parasitology Today·P Köhler
Feb 8, 2011·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology·Noorzaid MuhamadSimon Brown
Jun 1, 1997·Experimental Parasitology·H ZahnerJ A Mutasa

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