Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
Pt 5
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-5-10
pubmed:abstractText
Production of ammonia is difficult to find among the various studies of amino acid metabolism in protozoa. Several studies suggest that catabolism of arginine to ammonium is important for the growth of trichomonads. Trichomonads are amitochondriate zooflagellates that thrive under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions. The authors were able to detect accumulation of ammonium ions and ammonia in cultures of Tritrichomonas foetus and Trichomonas vaginalis, including those resistant to metronidazole. Ammonium ions and ammonia were detected using the indophenol colorimetric method. Cells incubated overnight under an ambient oxygen gas phase had 0.9 mM soluble ammonium (NH(4)(+) and NH(3)) or a 20 % greater concentration of ammonium relative to sterile growth medium that had been incubated similarly. Production of ammonia itself was confirmed by analysis of a wick that was moistened with sulfuric acid (20 mM) and placed above the liquid in sealed cultures of a strain of Trichomonas vaginalis. The wicks from these cultures captured the equivalent of 0.048 mM volatile ammonia (NH(3)) from the liquid as compared to 0.021 mM volatile ammonia from sterile medium after overnight incubation. Intact trichomonads, 0.7 x 10(6) cells ml(-1) equivalent to 0.7 mg protein ml(-1), incubated in Doran's buffer with or without (1 mM) L-arginine produced significant amounts of soluble ammonium (0.07 mM and 0.04 mM, respectively) during 60 min. The results indicate that ammonium ions and the more irritating ammonia are significant metabolites of trichomonads. In addition, based upon end-product amounts, it appears that the rate of arginine metabolism is of the same order of magnitude as that for carbohydrate metabolism by trichomonads.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
1350-0872
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
150
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1139-45
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Production of ammonia by Tritrichomonas foetus and Trichomonas vaginalis.
pubmed:affiliation
Haskins Laboratories, Pace University, New York, NY 10038, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.