Mechanisms of Oxygen Toxicity at the Cellular Level,

Abstract

Oxygen at elevated pressures is toxic for life forms from microbes to man. Growth is inhibited in Escherichia coli and results primarily from poisoning of specific enzymes in the following biosynthetic pathways: branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, NAD-niacin, phosphoribosylpyrosphosphate (PRPP) and reverse glycolysis. Inhibition of amino acid biosynthesis indirectly stops protein synthesis and induces 'stringency' (production of pp-guainine-pp, a powerful inhibitor of metabolic processes) which accounts for inhibition in metabolic processes where there is no observed enzymatic poisoning. Inhibitions in the PRPP, NAD-niacin, and reverse glycolysis pathways are significant to bacterial (and perhaps to human) oxygen toxicity where products of the pathways protect. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA070026

Entities

People

  • Fred Yein
  • Laurie Foudin
  • O. R. Brown
  • Patti Gilliland
  • Richard Seither

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amino Acids
  • Anabolism
  • Aromatic Amino Acids
  • Carbohydrates
  • Cells
  • Contracts
  • Enzymes
  • Erythrocytes
  • Escherichia
  • Escherichia Coli
  • Glucose
  • Glycolysis
  • High Pressure
  • Hyperoxia
  • Inhibition
  • Metabolism
  • Students

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular Genetics
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry