Malarial dihydroorotate dehydrogenase mediates superoxide radical production.

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase purified from mitochondria of Plasmodium berghei, a rodent malaria parasite, mediates production of superoxide radical during oxidation of dihydroorotate to orotate. Reduction of dichlorophenolindophenol or cytochrome c or nitroblue tetrazolium was significantly inhibited by superoxide dismutase or theonyltrifluoroacetone, a specific iron chelator of the enzyme. These results, together with the recent evidence of manganese-superoxide dismutase activity in malarial mitochondria [Ranz, A., and Meshnick, S.R. (1989) Exp. Parasitol. 69, 125-128], suggest that the production of superoxide radical may occur in vivo.