REVIEW: The Purine Metabolism of Human Erythrocytes

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W. Dudzinska^1*, A. J. Hlynczak¹, E. Skotnicka¹, and M. Suska²

¹Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Szczecin, 3a Felczaka, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland; fax: (+48) 91-444-15-50; E-mail: wiola@univ.szczecin.pl

²Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Szczecin, Piastów 40 B Av., 70-065 Szczecin, Poland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received March 1, 2005; Revision received September 12, 2005

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This review summarizes currently available information about a crucial part of erythrocyte metabolism, that is, purine nucleotide conversions and their relationships with other conversion pathways. We describe the cellular resynthesis, interconversion, and degradation of purine compounds, and also the regulatory mechanisms in the conversion pathways. We also mention purine metabolism disorders and their clinical consequences. The literature is fragmentary because studies have concentrated only on selected aspects of purine metabolism; hence the need for a synthetic approach.

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KEY WORDS: erythrocytes, purine metabolism, purine bases, nucleotides, salvage pathway, catabolic pathway

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297906050014

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