Pyrimidine Metabolism: Dynamic and Versatile Pathways in Pathogens and Cellular Development.

Abstract

The importance of pyrimidines lies in the fact that they are structural components of a broad spectrum of key molecules that participate in diverse cellular functions, such as synthesis of DNA, RNA, lipids, and carbohydrates. Pyrimidine metabolism encompasses all enzymes involved in the synthesis, degradation, salvage, interconversion and transport of these molecules. In this review, we summarize recent publications that document how pyrimidine metabolism changes under a variety of conditions, including, when possible, those studies based on techniques of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. First, we briefly look at the dynamics of pyrimidine metabolism during nonpathogenic cellular events. We then focus on changes that pathogen infections cause in the pyrimidine metabolism of their host. Next, we discuss the effects of antimetabolites and inhibitors, and finally we consider the consequences of genetic manipulations, such as knock-downs, knock-outs, and knock-ins, of pyrimidine enzymes on pyrimidine metabolism in the cell.

• Authors: Manuel F Garavito, Heidy Y Narváez-Ortiz, Barbara H Zimmermann
• Journal: Journal of genetics and genomics = Yi chuan xue bao (J Genet Genomics) Vol. 42 Issue 5 Pg. 195-205 (May 20 2015) ISSN: 1673-8527 [Print] China
• PMID: 26059768 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Genetics Society of China. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Pyrimidines
• pyrimidine

Topics

• Animals
• Cells (cytology, metabolism, pathology)
• Computational Biology
• Humans
• Infections (metabolism, pathology)
• Pyrimidines (metabolism)