title: Cofactors and vitamins in the metabolism of malarial parasites. Factors other than folates.
abstract: Relatively few cofactors have so far been demonstrated to be essential for the intracellular development of erythrocytic stages of malarial parasites. Besides 4-aminobenzoic acid, presumably required for the synthesis of folates, these are biotin and pantothenate. The pantothenate is not used directly by the parasites but rather as coenzyme A synthesized by the host erythrocyte. Parasites maintained extracellularly in vitro also have a requirement for exogenous adenosine triphosphate. No information is available concerning cofactor requirements of the sporogonic or pre-erythrocytic stages.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D003065:Coenzyme A / Q000378:metabolism; D004372:Ducks; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000882:Haplorhini; D010205:Pantothenic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D010205:Pantothenic Acid; D001710:Biotin; D005492:Folic Acid; D003065:Coenzyme A