title: On the promine/retine theory of cell division: now and then.
abstract: Although the glyoxalase system was discovered in 1913, its function in the biological network is still a subject of debate. An attractive theory on its role was described by Albert Szent-Györgyi in the 1960s. From a bird's eye view, the promine/retine concept of Szent-Györgyi seems to give a plausible role for this ubiquitous enzyme system, but on going into detail, it obviously suffers from several uncertainties which have not been discussed until now. Here, a critical overview of the theory is presented by taking the pros and cons into account. It looks as though more data object to the theory than give support to it; and the search for anticancer medicines stimulated by the theory has not resulted in a new way of treatment of tumors, either. Hence, it is feared that the theory suggested for the biological role of glyoxalase pathway cannot be accepted, as it is.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Biology Research Group, Dámvad utca 18, H-1029 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kalapos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007791:Lactoylglutathione Lyase / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants; D011765:Pyruvaldehyde / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D019343:Citric Acid; D011765:Pyruvaldehyde; D007791:Lactoylglutathione Lyase; D005947:Glucose; D010100:Oxygen