Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:1.4.1.2 (glutamate dehydrogenase)
4,380 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Malaria-infected red cells and free parasites have limited capabilities for the biosynthesis of amino acids. Therefore, the principal amino acid sources for parasite protein synthesis are the plasma free amino acids and host cell haemoglobin. Infected cells and plasmodia incorporate exogenously supplied amino acids into protein. However, the hypothesis that amino acid utilization (from an external source) is related to availability of that amino acid in haemoglobin is without universal support: it is true for isoleucine and for Plasmodium knowlesi and P. falciparum, but not for methionine, cysteine, and other amino acids, and it does not apply to P. lophurae. More by default than by direct evidence, haemoglobin is believed to be the main amino acid reservoir available to the intraerythrocytic plasmodium. Haemoglobin, ingested via the cytostome, is held in food vacuoles where auto-oxidation takes place. As a consequence, haem is released and accumulates in the vacuole as particulate haemozoin (= malaria pigment). Current evidence favours the view that haemozoin is mainly haematin. Acid and alkaline proteases (identified in crude extracts from mammalian and avian malarias) are presumably secreted directly into the food vacuole. They then digest the denatured globin and the resulting amino acids are incorporated into parasite protein. Cell-free protein synthesizing systems have been developed using P. knowlesi and P. lophurae ribosomes. In the main these systems are typically eukaryotic.Studies of amino acid metabolism are exceedingly limited. Arginine, lysine, methionine, and proline are incorporated into protein, whereas glutamic acid is metabolized via an NADP-specific glutamic dehydrogenase. Glutamate oxidation generates NADPH and auxiliary energy (in the form of alpha-ketoglutarate). The role of red cell glutathione in the economy of the parasite remains obscure. Important goals for future research should be: quantitative assessment of the relative importance of amino acid sources for parasite protein synthesis; purification and characterization of plasmodial proteinases; and in vitro translation of parasite messenger RNA.
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PMID:Amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis in malarial parasites. 33 83

Electrophoretic variation of the enzymes glucose phosphate isomerase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-dependent) has been studied in the African murine malaria parasites Plasmodium berghei, P. yoelii, P. vinckei and P. chabaudi and their subspecies. Horizontal starch gel electrophoresis was used throughout. The number of isolates examined in each subspecies varied from 1 (P. y. nigeriensis) to 24 (P. c. chabaudi). Extensive enzyme variation was found among isolates of most of the subspecies from which more than two such isolates were available for study. It is clear that the phenomenon of enzyme polymorphism is of common occurrence among malaria parasites. With the exception of P. berghei and P. yoelii, of which all isolates share an identical electrophoretic form of lactate dehydrogenase, no enzyme forms are shared between any of the 4 species of murine plasmodia. By contrast, within each species common enzyme forms are shared among each of the subspecies. The subspecies are nevertheless, distinguished from each other by the electrophoretic forms of at least one enzyme. The distribution and reassortment of enzyme variation among isolates of a single subspecies is in accordance with the concept of malaria parasites as sexually reproducing organisms. The study of variation among parasites present in individual wild-caught rodent hosts demonstrates that natural malarial infections usually comprise genetically heterogeneous populations of parasites. Nevertheless, the number of genetically distinct types of parasite of any one species present in a single infected host appears to be small. Generally not more than 2 or 3 clones of parasite of distinct genetic constitution are present in a single infected animal.
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PMID:Studies on enzyme variation in the murine malaria parasites Plasmodium berghei, P. yoelii, P. vinckei and P. chabaudi by starch gel electrophoresis. 35 25

Ammonia, lactate and glutamate levels and the activities of glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutaminase (GLN), aspartate transaminase (AST), phosphofructokinase (PFK) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were compared in the brain tissue of normal and P. yoelii infected mice. The brain lactate increased by 96% at peak parasitaemia. Cerebral ammonia also exhibited an increase in infected mice which was parasitaemia dependent, while glutamate remained almost unchanged. The brain glutamine synthetase registered an increase of 35% (P < 0.001) in post-mitochondrial fractions, this effect being perceptible even at low parasitaemia, but attained constancy at parasitaemia levels higher than 20%. The activity of monoamine oxidase and phosphofructokinase increased by 105% (P < 0.02) and 41% (P < 0.05) respectively while glutamate dehydrogenase decreased by 15% (P < 0.001). Glutaminase and aspartate transaminase were not significantly influenced by infection (tested only at high parasitaemia levels). It has been postulated that cerebral hypoxia and aberrations in ammonia metabolism may both contribute towards malaria induced cerebral complications.
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PMID:Cerebral ammonia levels and enzyme changes during Plasmodium yoelii infection in mice. 136 Oct 9

The phospholipid and fatty acid compositions of the host infected erythrocyte plasma membrane (IEPM) have been determined for erythrocytes infected with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. IEPM were prepared by selective lysis of the host erythrocyte (but not of the parasite membranes) with 0.1% saponin, followed by differential centrifugation. The purity of the IEPM was determined by measuring the membrane-specific enzyme markers acetylcholinesterase, glutamate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase, and by immunoelectron microscopy using monoclonal antibodies specific for human erythrocyte glycophorin A (4E7) and for a 195 kDa parasite membrane glycoprotein (Pf6 3B10.1). Both approaches demonstrated that the host erythrocyte plasma membrane preparation was free from contamination by parasite membranes. During intra-erythrocytic development of the parasite, the phospholipid composition of the erythrocyte membrane was strikingly altered. IEPM contained more phosphatidylcholine (38.7% versus 31.7%) and phosphatidylinositol (2.1% versus 0.8%) and less sphingomyelin (14.6% versus 28.0%) than normal uninfected erythrocytes. Similar alterations in phospholipid composition were determined for erythrocyte membranes of parasitized cells isolated by an alternative method utilizing polycationic polyacrylamide microbeads (Affigel 731). The total fatty acid compositions of the major phospholipids in IEPM were determined by g.l.c. The percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in normal erythrocyte phospholipids (39.4%) was much higher than in phospholipids from purified parasites (23.3%) or IEPM (24.0%). The unsaturation index of phospholipids in IEPM was considerably lower than in uninfected erythrocytes (107.5 versus 161.0) and was very similar to that in purified parasites (107.5 versus 98.5). Large increases in palmitic acid (C16:0) (from 21.88% to 31.21%) and in oleic acid (C18:1) (from 14.64% to 24.60%), and major decreases in arachidonic acid (C20:4) (from 17.36% to 7.85%) and in docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6) (from 4.34% to 1.8%) occurred as a result of infection. The fatty acid profiles of individual phospholipid classes from IEPM resembled in many instances the fatty acid profiles of parasite phospholipids rather than those of uninfected erythrocytes. Analysis of IEPM from P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (trophozoite stage) revealed that, during intra-erythrocytic maturation of the parasite, the host erythrocyte phospholipid composition was markedly refashioned. These alterations were not dependent on the method used to isolate the IEPM, with similar results obtained using either a saponin-lysis method or binding to Affigel beads. Since mature erythrocytes have negligible lipid synthesis and metabolism, these alterations must occur as a result of parasite-directed metabolism of erythrocyte lipids and/or trafficking of lipids between the parasite and erythrocyte membranes.
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PMID:Modification of host cell membrane lipid composition by the intra-erythrocytic human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. 200 Dec 27

185 isolates of Plasmodium vivax were collected from patients visiting the malaria clinic run by the National Malaria Eradication Programme, Delhi, India. Percoll gradient centrifugation was used to concentrate P. vivax parasites from 0.4 to 0.5 ml of blood collected by finger prick. The parasite concentrate from each isolate was electrophoretically analysed for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) and adenosine deaminase (ADA). Variations were observed in GPI, GDH and ADA systems. Four electrophoretic forms of GPI and 5 each of GDH and ADA were observed. Electrophoretic mobilities of the different isoenzymic forms in P. vivax were identical to those reported for P. falciparum, indicating that the 2 species cannot be differentiated on the basis of electrophoretic patterns of the 4 enzyme systems studied.
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PMID:Plasmodium vivax: enzyme polymorphism in isolates of Indian origin. 269 26

Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocytes grown in vitro do not release 14CO2 when incubated in the presence of [1-14C]glutamate, despite the presence of glutamate dehydrogenase, implying the absence of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity and the lack of functional tricarboxylic acid cycle in the human malaria parasite. Cultures incubated with [14C]bicarbonate, however, fix CO2 into acid-stable metabolites; CO2 fixation proceeds linearly for up to two hours after an initial brief lag and may contribute appreciably to the metabolism of the parasite.
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PMID:Absence of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity and presence of CO2-fixing activity in Plasmodium falciparum grown in vitro in human erythrocytes. 614 96

The effect of chloroquine and other antimalarial drugs on glutamate dehydrogenase activity was studied in liver and renal mitochondria as well as in kidney-cortex tubules of rabbit. In permeabilized mitochondria, with free access of substrates and drugs to glutamate dehydrogenase, 100 microns chloroquine decreased both glutamate synthesis and glutamate deamination by about 70 and 50%, respectively. Ki value was equal to 49 microns in both liver and renal mitochondria. Other antimalarials (amodiaquine, quinacrine, chinidine and chinine) showed much smaller effect on the enzyme activity. Both ADP and L-leucine, allosteric activators of glutamate dehydrogenase, did not abolish the inhibitory action of chloroquine. Moreover, when added at 200 microns concentrations all drugs besides chinine suppressed glutamate formation in kidney-cortex tubules while chloroquine and quinacrine inhibited also glutamate deamination. Furthermore, chloroquine at 500 microns concentration decreased significantly [14C]glutamate transport into kidney-cortex mitochondria. In view of these observations it seems likely that chloroquine and some other antimalarials may inhibit the rate of glutamate metabolism in both liver and kidney-cortex causing hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity. A possible action of chloroquine as an inhibitor of glutamate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium falciparum during the clinical treatment of malaria is discussed.
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PMID:Chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of glutamate dehydrogenase in liver and kidney-cortex of rabbit. 914 20

The gene of an NADP+-specific glutamate dehydrogenase was cloned from Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of tropical malaria. Southern-blot analysis indicates a single-copy gene. The gene encodes a protein with 470 residues which has 50% of all residues identical with those of the glutamate dehydrogenases from other low eukaryotes and eubacteria. In contrast, the sequence identity with the human enzyme is marginal, which underlines the long evolutionary distance between parasite and host. The gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The kinetic properties of the recombinant enzyme are in good agreement with those of the authentic enzyme. The parasite enzyme is inhibited by D-glutamate and glutarate, but not by chloroquine. Like other coenzyme-specific glutamate dehydrogenases, but in contrast to the dual-specific mammalian enzymes, the P. falciparum enzyme is not affected by GTP and ADP. The physical and chemical properties of the protein are in accordance with the cytosol being the major localization. The gene does not encode a cleavable mitochondrial presequence and the Mr of the recombinant protein and the protein isolated from the parasite are indistinguishable on SDS/PAGE. Western-blot analysis of stage-specific parasites shows that glutamate dehydrogenase is present in all intraerythrocytic stages. The signal increased continuously from rings, early trophozoites to late trophozoites and decreased slightly in the segmenter stage. Glutamate dehydrogenase, suggested to be the major source of NADPH in the parasite, is an attractive target molecule for the rational development of new antimalarial drugs.
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PMID:Glutamate dehydrogenase, the marker protein of Plasmodium falciparum--cloning, expression and characterization of the malarial enzyme. 987 51

We describe the separation of an active glutamate dehydrogenase [GDH (NADP+)] enzyme from the plasma of patients with P. falciparum infection using columns of sepharose anti-GDH (NADP+) of Proteus spp. The activity of this enzyme was also detected in P. falciparum culture supernatant. The parasitic origin of this enzyme was suggested by western blot analysis using anti-P. falciparum culture supernatant and anti-whole parasite antibodies. The differential inhibition of the P. falciparum GDH (NADP+) indicates that some epitopes recognised by the antibodies in both preparations may be different. The determination of P. falciparum GDH (NADP+) activity could be developed into a specific technique for the diagnosis of falciparum malaria.
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PMID:Detection of glutamate dehydrogenase enzyme activity in Plasmodium falciparum infection. 1040 63

Data on the effects of Plasmodium gallinaceum on domesticated fowl are sparse, justifying a full investigation of its pathology. Clinical signs following blood-induced infections with the Wellcome line of strain 8A included depression, fever, anorexia, reduced weight gain, poor feed conversion, anaemia, green faeces and often death. After administration of 10(6) erythrocytic parasites, mortality 5 to 10 days after infection was 10% to 93% in chickens 7 to 84 days old. The older the birds, the lower the mortality and the longer the time to death. Onset of detectable parasitaemia occurred mostly during the second day after infection (59% of birds). Peak parasitaemia (approximately 70%) occurred on the sixth day in 85% of surviving birds. The patent period was usually 7 to 19 days. Abnormally low haematocrit values of < or =24% and high colonic temperatures of > or =42 degrees C were recorded. A febrile response is demonstrated conclusively here in P. gallinaceum malaria for the first time. Weight gain of malarious birds was reduced by approximately 18% to 51%, and feed conversion efficiency was often reduced by approximately 12% to 41%. Growth reduction was due entirely to anorexia. Liver weight relative to body weight (normally approximately 2% to 3%) increased to approximately 4.5% by 8 days, and relative spleen weight (normally approximately 0.2%) increased to 1.6% by 12 days. Specific gravities of livers and spleens in healthy and infected birds were approximately 1.09. Gall bladder volume in malarious birds 8 days after infection was approximately four times that of normal birds. Statistically significant changes occurred in the proportions of plasma proteins in malarious birds 8 days after infection; albumin and alpha2-globulin were reduced, while gamma1-globulin and gamma2-globulin were increased. Those changes coincided with significant increases in concentrations of plasma total protein and the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyltransferase, and a decrease in creatinine. Green (biliverdin) colouration of the faeces was a consistent sign of malaria. Birds acquired non-sterile immunity after a single primary infection. The quantitative data presented facilitate selection of the most useful criteria for field diagnosis, estimation of potential economic losses, and assessment of potential avian antimalarial drugs.
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PMID:Avian malaria: clinical and chemical pathology of Plasmodium gallinaceum in the domesticated fowl Gallus gallus. 1576 37


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