Folylpolyglutamates in Leishmania major.
The intracellular folates of the protozoan parasite Leishmania major have been examined. About 95% of the exogenous [3H]folate accumulated by the protozoan is metabolized to polyglutamate conjugates within 65 hr, and the intracellular folates are about forty-fold concentrated over the folate in the medium. The predominant metabolite of folic acid is the pentaglutamate conjugate (85%), with lessor amounts of the tetraglutamate (approximately 9%) and hexaglutamate (approximately 3%), and trace (less than 2.5%) amounts of di-, tri- and hepta-glutamate conjugates. Chromatographic properties of the products indicate that the conjugates are linked through the gamma-carboxyl groups. The folylpolyglutamate distribution in Leishmania is similar to that found in mammalian tissues.
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000378:metabolism*; D011624:Pteroylpolyglutamic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014316:Tritium
D011624:Pteroylpolyglutamic Acids; D014316:Tritium; D005492:Folic Acid