Adaptive Use of N2‐Dimethyl‐Substituted Pterins by Cultures of Crithidia fasciculata

IRMGARD ZIEGLER, MANFRED BÖHME, WOLFGANG PFLEIDERER, ERICH F. ELSTNER

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Abstract

The compound 6‐(L‐erythro‐1,2′,3′‐trihydroxypropyl)pterin, at a concentration of 50 pg/ml (“L‐erythro‐neopteria”), supports half‐maximal growth of Crithidia fasciculata; biopterin at a concentration of 30 pg/ml is shown to yield similar growth. N2‐dimethyl‐6‐(L‐erythro‐1′,2′,3′‐trihydroxypropyl)pterin (A) was inactive even at 100 ng/ml. Synergism was observed with the N2‐dimethylamino derivative (A) in the presence of suboptimal biopterin, its activity then being of the order of L‐erythro‐neopterin. In contrast, the stereoisomeric N2‐dimethyl‐6‐(D‐erythro‐1′,2′,3′‐trihydroxypropyl)pterin (“dimethyl‐D‐erythro‐neopterin”) and its 3′‐mono‐phosphate only slightly enhanced growth under similar conditions but both threo‐isomers had no supplementary activity. Biopterin‐induced growth was slowed by 6‐(D‐erythro1′,2′,3′‐trihydroxypropyl)pterin (D‐neopterin); the threo‐isomers had no such effect. An adaptive demethylation capacity by growing cultures and competition of biopterin uptake by D‐neopterin seems likely. The report of the occurrence in Euglena of N2‐dimethyl‐6‐(L‐threo‐1′,2′,3′‐trihydroxypropyl)pterin and its 3′‐mono‐phosphate adds further interest to our observations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)354-357
Number of pages4
JournalThe Journal of Protozoology
Volume28
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1981

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