POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY ROLE OF METHYLGLYOXALASE PATHWAY - ANAPLEROTIC ROUTE FOR REDUCTIVE CITRIC-ACID CYCLE OF SURFACE METABOLISTS

An anaplerotic route for the archaic reductive citric acid cycle of su rface metabolists is proposed. The proposal on the one hand, ascertain es a metabolic pathway that fits to the theory of surface metabolists and consumes only formaldehyde to supply the cycle with starting mater ials, and on the other hand, gives an explanation of a long lasting bi ochemical enigma and why the methylglyoxalase pathway is of a ubiquito us nature. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.