Metabolic adaptation of Trichomonas vaginalis to growth rate and glucose availability. 1996

B H ter Kuile
Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA. terkuil@rockvax.rockefeller.edu

The parasitic protist Trichomonas vaginalis adapted the specific activities of twelve of the enzymes involved in glucose metabolism to the growth rate an glucose availability. These changes in enzyme activities were induced by culturing T. vaginalis in chemostats with glucose, present in rate-limiting or excess concentrations, as carbon and energy source. The specific activities were measured in pelleted cells at each steady state, while metabolic end products were determined in filtered culture fluid. The specific activities were lower in cells grown on growth-rate-limiting concentrations of glucose and higher in organisms cultured in the presence of excess glucose. In both cases enzyme activities were higher at increasing growth rates. For most enzymes the difference between the highest and lowest activities was an order of magnitude. The specific activities of eleven of the enzymes were strongly correlated to each other (correlation coefficients 0.83-0.99), the exception being lactate dehydrogenase. The rates of production of the three major end products, lactate, acetate and glycerol, increased with increasing growth rates. Alanine was not formed in measurable quantities. The ratio of the end products formed was strongly influenced by the growth rates and glucose availability. The rates of formation of acetate and glycerol correlated best with the specific activities of the enzymes catalysing the final reactions of their respective pathways. This suggests that the production of acetate and glycerol is rate-limited by these final steps. In contrast, the formation of lactate did not correlate with the specific activity of lactate dehydrogenase but was determined by the rate of glucose consumption.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007700 Kinetics The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D003470 Culture Media Any liquid or solid preparation made specifically for the growth, storage, or transport of microorganisms or other types of cells. The variety of media that exist allow for the culturing of specific microorganisms and cell types, such as differential media, selective media, test media, and defined media. Solid media consist of liquid media that have been solidified with an agent such as AGAR or GELATIN. Media, Culture
D004798 Enzymes Biological molecules that possess catalytic activity. They may occur naturally or be synthetically created. Enzymes are usually proteins, however CATALYTIC RNA and CATALYTIC DNA molecules have also been identified. Biocatalyst,Enzyme,Biocatalysts
D005947 Glucose A primary source of energy for living organisms. It is naturally occurring and is found in fruits and other parts of plants in its free state. It is used therapeutically in fluid and nutrient replacement. Dextrose,Anhydrous Dextrose,D-Glucose,Glucose Monohydrate,Glucose, (DL)-Isomer,Glucose, (alpha-D)-Isomer,Glucose, (beta-D)-Isomer,D Glucose,Dextrose, Anhydrous,Monohydrate, Glucose
D000064 Acclimatization Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old. Acclimation
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014246 Trichomonas vaginalis A species of TRICHOMONAS that produces a refractory vaginal discharge in females, as well as bladder and urethral infections in males. Trichomonas vaginali,vaginali, Trichomonas

Related Publications

B H ter Kuile
January 1969, Wiadomosci parazytologiczne,
B H ter Kuile
November 2000, Molecular biology and evolution,
B H ter Kuile
November 1959, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
B H ter Kuile
June 1998, Journal of medical microbiology,
B H ter Kuile
January 1960, Gynaecologia. International monthly review of obstetrics and gynecology. Revue internationale mensuelle d'obstetrique et de gynecologie. Monatsschrift fur Geburtshilfe und Gynakologie,
B H ter Kuile
August 2019, Journal of microbiology, immunology, and infection = Wei mian yu gan ran za zhi,
B H ter Kuile
January 1955, Journal of the Japanese Obstetrical & Gynecological Society,
B H ter Kuile
August 1955, Zhurnal mikrobiologii, epidemiologii i immunobiologii,
B H ter Kuile
January 1996, Advances in experimental medicine and biology,
B H ter Kuile
July 1954, La Semana medica,
Copied contents to your clipboard!