Journal of Neurochemistry · 1973 · 28 citations · 23 references
NeuropeptidesSynaptic TransmissionNeurotransmitterCellular NeurobiologySynaptic SignalingCellular PhysiologySocial SciencesMethylene ThfNeurochemistryHuman MetabolismMolecular NeuroscienceMolecular PhysiologyBiochemistryLiver PhysiologyCo 2Nervous SystemMetabolic PathwaysNeurophysiologyNeuroanatomyMetabolic FunctionsPhysiologyNeuroscienceMolecular NeurobiologyGlycine Cleavage SystemMetabolismMedicineCarbonyl Metabolism
Abstract A major catabolic route for glycine in liver is its conversion to methylene tetra‐hydrofolate (methylene THF), CO 2 and NH 3 , catalysed by the glycine cleavage system described by Y oshida and K ikuchi (1970). In view of the role of glycine as a putative neuro‐transmitter, the occurrence of this system in mammalian brain was investigated. Our studies demonstrated: (a) that the production of 14 CO 2 from [1‐ 14 C]glycine required the presence of tetrahydrofolate, NAD, dithiothreitol and pyridoxal phosphate in the reaction mixture; (b) that besides CO 2 l ‐serine was the other major product of the reaction; (c) that glyoxylate did not function as an intermediate in this reaction; and (d) that enzymatic activity appeared to be associated with membranes. All of these properties resembled those previously described for the hepatic system.
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