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Polyamine Metabolism in Acanthamoeba : Polyamine Content and Synthesis of Ornithine, Putrescine, and Diaminopropane 1
Author(s) -
KIM BYEONG G.,
SOBOTA ANDREZJ,
BITONTI ALAN J.,
McCANN PETER P.,
BYERS THOMAS J.
Publication year - 1987
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.1550-7408.1987.tb03175.x
Subject(s) - putrescine , spermidine , spermine , ornithine decarboxylase , arginase , ornithine , polyamine , biochemistry , arginine , chemistry , ornithine decarboxylase antizyme , citrulline , arginine decarboxylase , enzyme , amino acid
Five polyamines which could be separated by high performance liquid chromatography were found in Acanthamoeba castellanii (strain Neff). These included in order of decreasing abundance: 1,3‐diaminopropane, spermidine, spermine, norspermidine, and putrescine. Only diaminopropane and norspermidine had been found previously. Spermine was present in cultures grown in broth, but not in defined medium. Radioactive substrates were used to establish that putrescine was synthesized by decarboxylation of ornithine, ornithine was synthesized from arginine or citrulline, and diaminopropane was synthesized from spermidine. The presence of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17), arginase (EC 3.5.3.1), and urease (EC 3.5.1.5) and the absence of arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) were established. A scheme for polyamine biosynthesis in A. castellanii is proposed.