The NADP-linked aldehyde reductase of Leishmania donovani.

An enzyme that oxidizes ethanol to acetaldehyde in the presence of NADP (but not NAD) and reduces acetaldehyde to ethanol in the presence of NADPH (but not NADH) is present in Leishmania donovani promastigotes. The activity is present only in the supernatant fraction obtained from sonication of the cells and high speed centrifugation. The Km and Vm values were evaluated for propanol and propionaldehyde as well as for ethanol and acetaldehyde in cells obtained from late log and 3-day stationary phase cultures. There was no significant change in Km or Vm values for any of these four substrates with culture age. Since the Km values for ethanol and propanol are much higher than for the corresponding aldehydes and higher than any physiological range of alcohol concentration likely to be encountered, this enzyme is considered to function as an aldehyde reductase.

Incorporation of label from acetate and laurate into the mannan of Leishmania donovani via the glyoxylate cycle.

Leishmania donovani promastigotes in late-stationary phase incorporated label from [2-14C]acetate and [1-14C]laurate into the mannose residues of mannan, thus confirming the presence of a functional glyoxylate bypass in these parasitic protozoa. Isolated, washed calls also incorporated label from [2-14C]acetate and [1-14C]laurate into mannan during a 1-hr incubation in buffer. Glucose had no effect on label incorporation into mannan, but glutamate caused over a four-fold increase in incorporation from [2-14C]acetate and a 2.4-fold increase from [1-14C]laurate. Staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor that inhibits glutamate and alanine oxidation, did not inhibit label incorporation from [2-14C]acetate into mannan. Hyperosmolality caused about a 33% inhibition of label incorporation into mannan. These results show the glyoxylate cycle and/or the subsequent biosynthetic pathway from fructose-6-phosphate to mannan are subject to regulation.

Utilization of a carbohydrate reserve comprised primarily of mannose by Leishmania donovani.

Promastigotes from late log phase and 3-day stationary phase cultures of Leishmania donovani were collected, washed in buffer, and the cell pellet was treated with boiling KOH. A putative carbohydrate storage material was then precipitated and washed in ethanol/LiBr. This material did not liberate glucose when treated with amyloglucosidase, indicating that it was not glycogen. Acid hydrolysis released a hexose which was identified as mannose by several criteria. Considerably more of this mannan-like carbohydrate is present in cells from 3-day stationary phase than from late log phase cultures, consistent with the ability of 3-day stationary phase cells to survive in non-nutrient buffer and maintain oxygen consumption for longer than log phase cells. The amount of this mannan-like compound decreased by over 50% during a 3-h incubation in buffer of cells from 3-day stationary phase cultures. The presence of glucose during the incubation prevented the utilization of this carbohydrate, consistent with the possibility that it serves as an energy reserve.

Changes in intracellular levels of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and several glycolytic intermediates in Leishmania major promastigotes as a function of pO2.

Leishmania major promastigotes were grown to late log phase, washed and resuspended in Hanks' balanced salt solution, and incubated with glucose at various pO2s in the presence of 5% CO2. Samples were taken at times from 0-40 min and assayed for fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru(2,6)P2), glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), fructose-6-phosphate (F6P), phospho(enol)pyruvate (PEP), and ATP. At 95% O2 ATP remained constant throughout the incubation. It did not decrease significantly at 10% O2, but decreased by about 20% and 30% at 6% and 0% O2, respectively. At 95% O2, Fru(2,6)P2 increased about 15-fold within 5 min after the addition of glucose and remained at this high level. At 10%, 6%, and 0% O2 Fru(2,6)P2 rose about 5-fold within 5 min and then declined slightly during the remainder of the incubation. G6P increased from about 0.5 to 12 nmol (mg protein)-1 at 5 min in cells incubated under 95% O2 and then declined to about 5 nmol (mg protein)-1. It increased to about 8 nmol (mg protein)-1 at 5 min and then declined slightly in cells incubated under 10% O2. F6P levels were approximately one-eighth of G6P levels under all conditions, suggesting that phosphohexoseisomerase was not subject to regulation. PEP levels were initially high, but at 95% O2 there was a 50% drop in PEP at 5 min, while at 10%, 6%, and 0% O2 there was less of a decline. The observation that the rise in Fru(2,6)P2 levels at 10%, 6%, or 0% O2 is the same at 5 min and less than the rise at 95% O2 supports the presence of a low affinity oxygen sensor. The different time course of changes in G6P, F6P, and PEP levels suggests that in addition to an activation of pyruvate kinase by Fru(2,6)P2, other regulatory events are also operative at low pO2.

Oxidation of glucose, ribose, alanine, and glutamate by Leishmania braziliensis panamensis.

The metabolism of [1-14C]- and [6-14C]glucose, [1-14C]ribose, [1-14C]- and [U-14C]alanine, and [1-14C]- and [5-14C]glutamate by the promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis panamensis was investigated in cells resuspended in Hanks' balanced salt solution supplemented with ribose, alanine, or glutamate. The ratio of 14CO2 produced from [1-14C]glucose to that from [6-14C]glucose ranged from about two to six, indicating appreciable carbon flow through the pentose phosphate pathway. A functional pentose phosphate pathway was further demonstrated by the production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]ribose although the rate of ribose oxidation was much lower than the rate of glucose oxidation. The rate of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glucose was almost linear with time of incubation, whereas that of [6-14C]glucose accelerated, consistent with an increasing rate of flux through the Embden-Meyerhof pathway during incubation. Increasing the assay temperature from 26 degrees C to 34 degrees C had no appreciable effect on the rates or time courses of oxidation of either [1-14C]- or [6-14C]glucose or of [1-14C]ribose. Both alanine and glutamate were oxidized by L. b. panamensis, and at rates comparable to or appreciably greater than the rate of oxidation of glucose. The ratios of 14CO2 produced from [1-14C]- to [U-14C]alanine and from [1-14C]- to [5-14C]glutamate indicated that these compounds were metabolized via a functioning tricarboxylic acid cycle and that most of the label that entered the tricarboxylic acid cycle was oxidized to carbon dioxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Inhibition of growth and of thymidine incorporation into DNA in Tetrahymena by chlorpromazine, pimozide and penfluridol.

The antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine, pimozide, and penfluridol caused a 50% inhibition of growth of Tetrahymena at concentrations of 4.5, 5.5, and 1.5 microM, respectively. The degree of growth inhibition was dependent on the concentration of cells; higher drug concentrations were needed to produce inhibition of denser cell cultures. Binding studies with penfluridol showed that 50% growth inhibition resulted when approximately 50 mumoles of drug were bound per 10(6) cells. A 20-min preincubation of cells with chlorpromazine (14.7 microM) inhibited DNA synthesis by 46%, and with penfluridol (4 microM) DNA synthesis was inhibited by 27%. The incorporation of labeled thymidine into the thymidine triphosphate pool was inhibited by chlorpromazine but not by penfluridol, indicating that the drugs produce their growth inhibitory effects by different mechanisms. TDP kinase activity was demonstrated in a particle-free fraction of the cells. Its enzymatic activity was not affected by added chlorpromazine, penfluridol, or calmodulin, suggesting that inhibition of DNA synthesis by these drugs may be a consequence of growth inhibition.

The methylated purines of Tetrahymena pyriformis transfer ribonucleic acid.

By phenol extraction and DEAE cellulose column chromatography, tRNA was isolated from Tetrahymena pyriformis strain GL. Following acid hydrolysis of the tRNA, the methylated purine content was determined by Dowex 50 column chromatography and paper chromatography. The most abundant methylated guanine derivative was found to be N2-DMG. Also present were 1-MG, N2-MG, and 7-MG. The most abundant methylated adenine was found to be 1-MA; no 2-MA was detected. Small amounts of the N6-methyladenines were detected.