Enzymes anaerobic protozoa

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With respect to amino acid metabolism some of the differences between host and parasite are somewhat subtle. Some parasite enzymes, for example, have properties which are clearly distinct from those of their mammalian counterparts, such as the cofactor dependence and regulation of glutamate dehydrogenases. The utilization of specific amino acids such as proline or the accumulation of others such as alanine reflects a difference in the relative importance of the pathways between parasite and host. Some differences are particularly striking, especially among anaerobic protozoa in... 

Metronidazole Flagyl, Metrogel) exerts activity against most anaerobic bacteria and several protozoa. The drug freely penetrates protozoal and bacterial cells but not mammalian cells. Metronidazole can function as an electron sink, and because it does so, its 5-nitro group is reduced. The enzyme, pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreduc-tase, found only in anaerobic organisms, reduces metronidazole and thereby activates the drug. Reduced metronidazole disrupts replication and transcription and inhibits DNA repair. 

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