Carbon-13 Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Studies of Glucose Catabolism by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

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Abstract
13C Nuclear magnetic resonance studies have been performed in vivo on Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. The glycolytic pathway has been observed using specifically labelled 13C-enriched glucose and it has been ascertained that there is, under anaerobic conditions, predominant incorporation of C-1 of glucose into glycerol while there is complete randomisation of C-6 of glucose into glycerol and pyruvate. These observations cannot be reconciled by the Embden-Meyerhof glycolytic pathway, purportedly the mechanism by which glucose is catabolised in these organisms, and an alternative pathway must exist. Comparison of whole-cell and acid-lysate 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra concludes that pyruvate may be initially formed bound to a macromolecular species. Also, alanine is found to be a major end product of glucose catabolism.