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. 1995 Dec 1;312(Pt 2):465–469. doi: 10.1042/bj3120465

Glutathionylspermidine metabolism in Escherichia coli.

K Smith 1, A Borges 1, M R Ariyanayagam 1, A H Fairlamb 1
PMCID: PMC1136285  PMID: 8526857

Abstract

Intracellular levels of glutathione and glutathionylspermidine conjugates have been measured throughout the growth phases of Escherichia coli. Glutathionylspermidine was present in mid-log-phase cells, and under stationary and anaerobic growth conditions accounted for 80% of the total glutathione content. N1,N8-bis(glutathionyl)spermidine (trypanothione) was undetectable under all growth conditions. The catalytic constant kcat/Km of recombinant E. coli glutathione reductase for glutathionylspermidine disulphide was approx. 11,000-fold lower than that for glutathione disulphide. The much higher catalytic constant for the mixed disulphide of glutathione and glutathionylspermidine (11% that of GSSG), suggests a possible explanation for the low turnover of trypanothione disulphide by E. coli glutathione reductase, given the apparent lack of a specific glutathionylspermidine disulphide reductase in E. coli.

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Selected References

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