title: A glycine-cleavage complex as part of the folate one-carbon metabolism of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: The glycine-cleavage complex (GCV) and serine hydroxymethyltransferase represent the two systems of one-carbon transfer that are employed in the biosynthesis of active folate cofactors in eukaryotes. Although the understanding of this area of metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum is still at an early stage, we discuss evidence that genes and transcription products of the GCV are present and expressed in this parasite. The potential role of the GCV and its relevance to the life cycle and pathogenesis of the malaria erythrocytic stages are also considered. According to its expression profile, the GCV seems to be particularly active in gametocytes. The GCV enzyme dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase has two isoforms encoded by two different genes. It has been demonstrated recently that both genes are functional, with one of them identified as being part of a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex that is present exclusively in the apicoplast of Plasmodium species. The other isoform probably forms part of the Plasmodium GCV. The GCV is the first enzyme complex involved in folate metabolism in this parasite that can be assumed, with a good degree of certainty, to be located in the mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salcedo
authors.forename: Paul F G
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hyde
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014166:Transferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; C064525:glycine cleavage system; D005492:Folic Acid; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase; D014166:Transferases; D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase; D005998:Glycine