GMP reductase and genetic uncoupling of adenylate and guanylate metabolism in Leishmania donovani parasites.

ABSTRACT: Purine acquisition is an essential nutritional process for Leishmania. Although purine salvage into adenylate nucleotides has been investigated in detail, little attention has been focused on the guanylate branch of the purine pathway. To characterize guanylate nucleotide metabolism in Leishmania and create a cell culture model in which the pathways for adenylate and guanylate nucleotide synthesis can be genetically uncoupled for functional studies in intact cells, we created and characterized null mutants of L. donovani that were deficient in either GMP reductase alone (Δgmpr) or in both GMP reductase and its paralog IMP dehydrogenase (Δgmpr/Δimpdh). Whereas wild type parasites were capable of utilizing virtually any purine nucleobase/nucleoside, the Δgmpr and Δgmpr/Δimpdh null lines exhi

SUBMITTER: Boitz JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5010971 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature