Absence of α‐Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Activity and Presence of CO2‐Fixing Activity in Plasmodium falciparum Grown In Vitro in Human Erythrocytes1

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Abstract
P. falciparum-infected human erythrocytes grown in vitro do not release 14CO2 when incubated in the presence of [1-14C]glutamate, despite the presence of glutamate dehydrogenase, implying the absence of .alpha.-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity and the lack of functional tricarboxylic acid cycle in the human malaria parasite. Cultures incubated with [14C]bicarbonate, fix CO2 into acid-stable metabolites; CO2 fixation proceeds linearly for up to 2 h after an initial brief lag and may contribute appreciably to the metabolism of the parasite.