Serine transhydroxymethylase activity in vertebrate retina.
The presence of serine transhydroxymethylase (STHM; EC 2.1.2.1) in crude homogenates of rat, guinea pig and goat retina has been demonstrated. There was a variation in the levels of retinal STHM activity in the three species. Substantial STHM activity was found in all the three retinal preparations in the absence of pyridoxal-5-phosphate in the incubation medium. There was direct correlation (r = 0.995; p less than 0.001) between the STHM activity and the glycine content in rat telencephalon, midbrain, medulla-pons, spinal cord and retina. These findings suggest that STHM is probably an important enzyme for the synthesis of neural glycine in the vertebrate retina.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006041:Goats; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007700:Kinetics; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000201:enzymology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*
D014166:Transferases; D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase