title: The gamma-guanidinobutyramide pathway of L-arginine catabolism in Leishmania donovani promastigotes.
abstract: L-Arginine stimulates the respiration of Leishmania donovani to rates comparable to those observed with D-glucose. gamma-Guanidinobutyramide, CO2, urea and succinate have been identified as products of L-arginine catabolism by the cell-free extract. The reactions involved in CO2 and urea formation require aerobic conditions. An enzymatic reaction that converts radiolabelled L-arginine to gamma-guanidinobutyramide occurs in cell-free extracts. The enzyme catalyzes a reaction in which O2 consumption and CO2 production are equimolar. The O2 uptake and CO2 production are stimulated by Mg2+, Mn2+, FMN, pyridoxal phosphate, and inhibited by hydroxylamine and NaBH4. L-Arginine decarboxyoxidase is suggested as the trivial name for this enzyme. The enzyme has maximum activity at pH 6.7, and its Km for L-arginine is 3.8 mM. L-Arginine decarboxyoxidase initiates the catabolism of L-arginine (pH less than or equal to 7) in this species, and is followed by the other enzymes of gamma-guanidinobutyramide pathway. Assay procedures have been devised to assay the multiple enzymes of this pathway.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006146:Guanidines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014508:Urea / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D014508:Urea; D001120:Arginine; D010544:Peroxidases; D010105:Oxygenases; C052574:arginine 2-monooxygenase; C001316:tiformin