Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:46:22.889Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

N-acetylation of biogenic amines in Ascaridia galli

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

R. E. Isaac
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
L. Eaves
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
R. Muimo
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
N. Lamango
Affiliation:
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT

Summary

The metabolism of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), octopamine (OA) and dopamine (DA) by adult male Ascaridia galli was investigated by incubating worms cut into 5 mm lengths with radio-isotope labelled amine. [14C]5-hydroxytryptamine and [14C]octopamine were taken up by the tissues and were metabolized to apolar products that co-chromatographed using both high-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography with N-acetyl 5-hydroxytryptamine (NA5-HT) and N-acetyloctopamine (NAOA), respectively. N-acetylation was by far the most important reaction detected under these experimental conditions. A brief incubation of cut worms with [3H]dopamine resulted in the formation of a radio-isotope labelled metabolite that co-chromatographed with N-acetyldopamine (NADA) on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The N-acetyltransferase activity towards 5-hydroxytryptamine and octopamine was detected in crude homogenates of male worms only when the co-substrate, acetyl CoA, was added to the reaction mixture. This enzyme activity appeared to be mainly localized in a 40 000 g supernatant fraction. The failure of previous studies to detect N-acetylation of biogenic amines in tissue homogenates of nematodes may have been due to the low levels of acetyl CoA present in these enzyme preparations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chauduri, J. & Donahue, M. J. (1989). Serotonin receptors in the tissues of adult Ascaris suum. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 35, 191–8.Google Scholar
Chauduri, J., Martin, R. E. & Donahue, M. (1988). Evidence for the absorption and synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine in perfused muscle and intestinal tissue and whole worms of adult Ascaris suum. Parasitology 96, 157–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donahue, M. J., Yacoub, N. J., Michnoff, C. A., Masaracchia, R. M. & Harris, B. G. (1981). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine): a possible regulator of glycogenolysis in perfused muscle segments of Ascaris suum. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 101, 112–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frandsen, J. C. & Bone, L. W. (1987). Biogenic amines and their metabolites in Trichostrongylus colubriformis, a nematode parasite of ruminants. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 87C, 75–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Frandsen, J. C. & Bone, L. W. (1988). Derivatives of epinephrine, norepinephrine, octopamine and histamine formed by homogenates of Trichostrongylus colubriformis, a nematode parasite of ruminants. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 91C, 385–7.Google ScholarPubMed
Goh, S. L. & Davey, K. G. (1985). Occurrence of noradrenaline in the central nervous system of Phocanema decipiens and its possible role in ecdysis. Canadian Journal of Zoology 63, 475–9.Google Scholar
Halmekoski, J. & Viinikka, R. (1971). Selective acetylation of metariminol, methoxime, octopamine and orciprenaline. Farmaseuttinen Aikakauslehti 80, 153–61.Google Scholar
Horvitz, H. R., Chalfie, M., Trent, C., Sulston, J. E. & Evans, P. D. (1982). Serotonin and octopamine in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Science 216, 1012–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Isaac, R. E., Muimo, R. & Macgregor, A. N. (1990). N-Acetylation of serotonin, octopamine and dopamine by adult Brugia pahangi. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 43, 193–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, R. E., Chaudhuri, J. & Donahue, M. J. (1988). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) turnover in adult female Ascaris suum tissue. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 91C, 307–10.Google Scholar
Mishra, S. K., Sen, R. & Ghatak, S. (1983). Monoamine oxidase in adult Ascaridia galli. Journal of Helminthology 57, 313–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mishra, S. K., Sen, R. & Ghatak, S. (1984). Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaridia galli: Biogenic amines in adults and developmental stages. Experimental Parasitology 57, 34–9.Google Scholar
Saxena, J. K., Bose, S. K., Sen, R., Chatterjee, R. K., Sen, A. B. & Ghatak, S. (1977). Litomosoides carini: Biogenic amines in microfilariae and adults. Experimental Parasitology 43, 329–43.Google Scholar
Smart, D. (1988 a). Catecholamine synthesis in Ascaridia galli (Nematoda). International Journal for Parasitology 18, 458–92.Google Scholar
Smart, D. (1988 b). Investigations of the synthesis and metabolism of 5-hydroxytryptamine in Ascaridia galli (Nematoda). International Journal for Parasitology 18, 747–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smart, D. (1989). What are the functions of the catecholamines and 5-hydroxytryptamine in parasitic nematodes? In Comparative Biochemistry of Parasitic Helminths (ed. Bennet, E. M., Behm, C. & Bryant, C.) pp. 2534. London: Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar
Willet, J. D. (1980). Control mechanisms in nematodes. In Nematodes as Biological Models (ed. Zuckerman, B. M.) vol 1, pp. 197225. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Wright, D. J. & Awan, F. A. (1978). Catecholaminergic structures in the nervous system of three nematode species, with observations on related enzymes. Journal of Zoology 185, 477–89.Google Scholar