Adaptation of metabolic enzyme activities of Trypanosoma brucei promastigotes to growth rate and carbon regimen. 1997

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

The insect stage of Trypanosoma brucei adapted the activities of 16 metabolic enzymes to growth rate and carbon source. Cells were grown in chemostats with glucose, rate limiting or in excess, or high concentrations of proline as carbon and energy sources. At each steady state, samples were collected for measurements of substrate and end product concentrations, cellular parameters, and enzyme activities. Correlation coefficients were calculated for all parameters and used to analyze the data set. Rates of substrate consumption and end product formation increased with increasing growth rate. Acetate and succinate were the major nonvolatile end products, but measurable quantities of alanine were also produced. More acetate than succinate was formed during growth on glucose, but growth on proline yielded an equimolar ratio. Growth rate barely affected the relative amounts of end products formed. The end products accounted for the glucose consumed during glucose-limited growth and growth at high rates on excess glucose. A discrepancy, indicating production of CO2, occurred during slow growth on excess glucose and, even more pronounced, in cells growing on proline. The activities of the metabolic enzymes varied by factors of 2 to 40. There was no single enzyme that correlated with consumption of substrate and/or end product formation in all cases. A group of enzymes whose activities rigorously covaried could also not be identified. These findings indicate that T. brucei adapted the activities of each of the metabolic enzymes studied separately. The results of this complex manner of adaptation were more or less constant ratios of the end products and a very efficient energy metabolism.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002244 Carbon A nonmetallic element with atomic symbol C, atomic number 6, and atomic weight [12.0096; 12.0116]. It may occur as several different allotropes including DIAMOND; CHARCOAL; and GRAPHITE; and as SOOT from incompletely burned fuel. Carbon-12,Vitreous Carbon,Carbon 12,Carbon, Vitreous
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
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
D000220 Adaptation, Biological Changes in biological features that help an organism cope with its ENVIRONMENT. These changes include physiological (ADAPTATION, PHYSIOLOGICAL), phenotypic and genetic changes. Adaptation, Biologic,Biological Adaptation,Biologic Adaptation
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
D014346 Trypanosoma brucei brucei A hemoflagellate subspecies of parasitic protozoa that causes nagana in domestic and game animals in Africa. It apparently does not infect humans. It is transmitted by bites of tsetse flies (Glossina). Trypanosoma brucei,Trypanosoma brucei bruceus,Trypanosoma bruceus,brucei brucei, Trypanosoma,brucei, Trypanosoma brucei,bruceus, Trypanosoma,bruceus, Trypanosoma brucei
D015800 Protozoan Proteins Proteins found in any species of protozoan. Proteins, Protozoan

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