Summary
The genetic regulation of enzymes involved in arginine and ornithine synthesis has been investigated in the parasitic trypanosomatid Herpetomonas samuelpessoai. The activities of two enzymes involved in arginine synthesis, ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCTase) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASLase) were depressed whereas the enzyme citrulline hydrolase (CHase), which is involved in ornithine synthesis, was increased in arginine supplemented cultures of the parasites. The depression of OCTase activity in the presence of arginine was not due to feedback inhibition and CHase activity of uninduced cultures was not enhanced by exogeneous arginine. Studies of the kinetics of OCTase induction and repression revealed that arginine blocks OCTase synthesis but does not cause destruction of the enzyme. Ornithine, but not citrulline. was found to counteract the arginine mediated repression of OCTase. Two classes of canavanine resistant mutants of H. samuelpessoai were isolated. One class was defective in arginine uptake whereas the other was affected in regulation of OCTase and ASLase which appear to be under coordinate control in H. samuelpessoai.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bechet J, Grenson M, Wiame J (1970) Mutations affecting the repressibility of arginine biosynthetic enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eur J Biochem 12:31–39
Castellani O, Ribeiro L, Fernandes J (1967) Differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi in culture. J Protozool 14:447–451
Delforge J, Messenguy F, Wiame J (1975) The regulation of arginine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eur J Biochem 57:231–239
Dewey V, Heinrich M, Kidder F (1957) Evidence for the absence of the urea cycle in Tetrahymena. J Protozool 4:211–219
Gorini L, Gundersen W, Burger M (1961) Genetics of regulation of enzyme synthesis in the arginine biosynthetic pathway of Escherichia coli. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 26:173–182
Grenson M, Mousset M, Wiame J, Bechet J (1966) Multiplicity of the amino acid permeases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biochem Biophys Acta 127:325–338
Hill D, von Eys J (1965) The relationship between arginine, citrulline and ornithine on Tetrahymena pyriformis. J Protozool 12:259–265
Jocoby G, Gorini L (1969) A unitary account of the repression mechanism of arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. The genetic evidence. J Mol Biol 39:73–87
Kent W (1880) A manual of the infusoria. Bogue, London
Kidder G, Davis J, Cousens K (1966) Citrulline utilization in crithidia. BBRC 24:365–369
Lowry O, Rosebrough N, Farr A, Randall R (1951) Protein measurements with the folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Maas W (1961) Studies on repression of arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 26:183–191
Oginsky E (1955) Isolation and determination of arginine and citrulline. In: Colowick SP, Kaplan NO (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol III. Academic Press, New York, p 639
Ramos F, Thuriaux P, Wiame J, Bechet J (1970) The participation of ornithine ornithine and citrulline in the regulation of arginine metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eur J Biochem 12:40–47
Ratner S (1955) Enzymatic synthesis of arginine (condensing and splitting enzymes). In: Colowick SP, Kaplan NO (eds) Methods in enzymology, vol II. Academic Press, New York, p 356
Roitman C, Roitman I, Peixoto de Azevedo H (1972) Growth of an insect trypanosomatid at 37°C in a defined medium. J Protozool 19:346–349
Sundaram P, Igloi M, Wassermann R, Hinsch W, Knoke K (1978) Immobilized enzyme nylon tube reactors for routine determination of urea and citrulline in serum. Clin Chem 24:234–239
Yoshida N, Jankevicius J, Roitman I, Camargo E (1978) Enzymes of the ornithine-arginine metabolism of trypanosomatids of the genus Herpetmonas. J Protozool 25:550–555
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by W. Gehring
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beutin, L., Eisen, H. Regulation of enzymes involved in ornithine/arginine metabolism in the parasitic trypanosomatid Herpetomonas samuelpessoai . Mol Gen Genet 190, 278–283 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330651
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330651