Wheeler P R
Department of Applied Biology, University of Hull, U.K.
Acta Leprol. 1989;7 Suppl 1:21-4.
The scope of this paper is biosynthetic pathways which are found generally in living organisms. Many are present in M. leprae but some are lacking, perhaps reflecting the parasitic mode of existence of this microbe. The biosynthesis of nucleotides (the immediate precursors of nucleic acids) and fatty acids (intermediates in the biosynthesis of most if not all mycobacterial lipids) has been studied in detail in M. leprae. For the former, M. leprae appears incapable of synthesising its own purines de novo and thus depends upon the host for a source of the purine ring. It can synthesise pyrimidines, though enzymes for this activity are inhibited in the M. leprae organisms obtained from host tissue. For the latter, M. leprae is capable of fatty acid biosynthesis de novo, probably at a repressed level. However, a key enzyme, phosphotransacetylase, appears to be deficient.
本文的范围是普遍存在于生物体中的生物合成途径。许多途径存在于麻风杆菌中，但有些则缺乏，这可能反映了这种微生物的寄生生存方式。核苷酸（核酸的直接前体）和脂肪酸（大多数分枝杆菌脂质生物合成中的中间体，即便不是全部）的生物合成已在麻风杆菌中得到详细研究。对于前者，麻风杆菌似乎无法从头合成自身的嘌呤，因此依赖宿主提供嘌呤环来源。它可以合成嘧啶，不过从宿主组织获得的麻风杆菌生物体中，参与该活动的酶会受到抑制。对于后者，麻风杆菌能够从头进行脂肪酸生物合成，可能处于受抑制的水平。然而，一种关键酶——磷酸转乙酰酶似乎缺乏。
