African trypanosomes, metabolism

Thus with the exception of T. vivax, the African trypanosomes metabolize purines in a manner similar to T. cruzi. The major difference between the trypanosomes and Leishmania is the former s lack of adenine deaminase. 

Fish, W. R., Marr, J. J. and Berens, R. L. et al. (1985) Inosine analogs as chemotherapeutic agents for African trypanosomes metabolism in trypanosomes and efficacy in tissue culture. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 27 33-36. 

Clark CG, Roger AJ (1995) Direct evidence for secondary loss of mitochondria in Entamoeba histolytica. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92 6518-6521 Clayton CE, Michels P (1996) Metabolic compartmentation in African trypanosomes. Parasitol Today 12 465-471... 

Fairlamb, A. H. and Opperdoes, F. R. (1986) Carbohydrate metabolism in African trypanosomes, with special reference to the glycosome. In Carbohydrate Metabolism of Cultured Cells (ed. Morgan, M. J.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 183-224. 

Trypanosoma brucei complex. African trypanosomes of the Trypanosoma brucei complex metabolize pyrimidines in a manner similar to that of Leishmania and T. cruzi (Fig. 6.17). All six enzyme activities for the synthesis of UMP were detected in homogenates of blood trypomastigotes of T.b. brucei (87). In addition, uracil PRTase, cytidine deaminase, and pyrimidine cleavage activities have been detected in cell-free homogenates no uridine kinase activity was detected (94). 

Ogbunude, P. O. and Ikediobi, C. O. (1983) Comparative aspects of purine metabolism in some African trypanosomes. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 9 279-287. 

Lipid and Membrane Metabolism of the Malaria Parasite and the African Trypanosome... 

As the only unicellular parasite to live free in the host s bloodstream the African, or salivarian, trypanosomes are unique. Unfortunately, there is little information on African trypanosome lipids and lipid metabolism. The life cycle of the African trypanosome involves bloodstream forms in the mammalian host and various insect forms in the tsetse fly vector. Of the insect forms, only the in vitro propagated procyclic form, equivalent to those in the tsetse fly midgut, has been examined. Early studies used complex culture medium that contained significant exogenous lipid. Later studies used... 

Carbohydrate metabolism in African trypanosomes is compartmentalized within the glycosome (Chapter 2). Many structural and kinetic differences exist between the... 

HPPR-MP can compete favorably with the normal substrate. The enzym-ological data are consistent with the metabolic studies which show that a large concentration of HPPR-MP (1-2 mM) is found within the cell APPR-MP is formed very slowly and in concentrations about one-tenth that of its precursor. The rate-limiting step is the formation of succino-APPR-MP by the adenylosuccinate synthetase. This conversion does not occur in mammalian tissues. The same metabolic sequences have been shown to exist in the intracellular parasitic form of L. donovani, in the vitro culture form, the blood stream and intracellular forms of Trypanosoma cruzi >7 the causative agent of American trypanosomiasis, and in the African trypanosomes T. brucei and rhodesiense. ... 

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