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Dihydrofolate Reductase from Eimeria tenella : Rationalization of Chemotherapeutic Efficacy of Pyrimethamine
Author(s) -
WANG CHING CHUNG,
STOTISH RONALD L.,
POE MARTIN
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1975.tb05234.x
Subject(s) - dihydrofolate reductase , pyrimethamine , coccidia , eimeria , biology , enzyme , biochemistry , pharmacology , parasite hosting , microbiology and biotechnology , plasmodium falciparum , malaria , immunology , world wide web , computer science
SYNOPSIS. Dihydrofolate reductase activity of 0.2 nmole of dihydrofolate reduced/min/mg protein was detected in crude extracts of unsporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella. The enzyme was purified by a combination of affinity and ion‐exchange chromatography. Its molecular weight was estimated as 240,000 daltons. An anticoccidial drug pyrimethamine is a potent inhibitor of the activity of E. tenella dihydrofolate reductase ( K t = 3 nM), but it is less effective an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase from chicken liver. This difference may explain the in vivo therapeutic action of pyrimethamine against Coccidia.