METABOLISM OF GLYOXYLATE, THE END-PRODUCT OF PURIN DEGRADATION, IN LIVER PEROXISOMES OF FRESH-WATER FISH

In marine Ash liver, degradative enzymes able to convert purines to ur ate have been shown to be located in the cytosol and degradative enzym es able to convert urate to urea and glyoxylate in the peroxisomes. Th e end products of purine degradation are urea and glyoxylate in fish. Glyoxylate may be converted to glycine by alanine:glyoxylate aminotran sferase for the reutilization of purine carbons. The present report de scribes that hepatic alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase is located bo th in the peroxisomes and in the mitochondria in fresh water fish, sho wing that the intracellular localization of the enzyme differs between fresh water fish and marine fish. This is the first report on the pre sence of alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase in fish peroxisomes. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.