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The methionine synthesis cycle and salvage of methyltetrahydrofolate from host red cells in the malaria parasite (Plasmodium falciparum)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

W. Asawamahasakda  and
Y. Yuthavong
W. Asawamahasakda
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
Y. Yuthavong
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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Summary

Plasmodium falciparum, P. knowlesi and P. chabaudi showed a significant activity of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). The presence of this enzyme completes the methionine synthesis cycle, in which the one-carbon fragment from serine side-chain can be transferred to methionine. However, while metabolic labelling of methionine from l-3 [14C]serine could not be demonstrated in P. falciparum, the significance of MTHFR was implicated by a novel pathway for salvage of exogenous 5-methyltetrahydrofolate from the host cell. The methyl group of the cofactor was incorporated into methionine, and the folate cofactor was found in the same pool as that derived from de novo synthesis with paminobenzoic acid as the precursor, shown previously as polyglutamylated 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. It is proposed from these results that the function of MTHFR and the methionine synthesis cycle is not the supply of methionine, but the generation of active folate cofactors from more stable precursors salvaged by the parasites

Keywords

folate salvagemethvlenetetrahydrofolate reductasemethionine synthesismalaria parasitePlasmodium
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 107 , Issue 1 , July 1993 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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