Abstract
The route of polyamine biosynthesis is a complex, but now well-characterised, pathway controlled at the level of the two decarboxylase enzymes, particularly ornithine decarboxylase (for review see Pegg, 1986). The catabolic pathways are however less well understood. The catabolic pathway should perhaps be more correctly referred to as the retroconversion pathway since catabolism implies breakdown and loss as opposed to the recycling which occurs. Retroconversion and biosynthesis occur in conjunction. For example, in regenerating rat liver Matsui et al. (1981) showed that the early increase in intracellular putrescine was the result of a combination of increased biosynthesis from ornithine and increased breakdown of spermine via acetylation and oxidation. Therefore, both pathways function in rapidly growing cells and they do not occur in isolation at different stages of cell growth.
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© 1988 Plenum Press, New York
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Wallace, H.M., Nuttall, M.E., Coleman, C.S. (1988). Polyamine Recycling Enzymes in Human Cancer Cells. In: Zappia, V., Pegg, A.E. (eds) Progress in Polyamine Research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 250. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5637-0_29
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5637-0_29
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