Pyrazolopyrimidine metabolism in African trypanosomes: metabolic similarities to Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp.

Growth inhibition and radioisotope incorporation studies with allopurinol (4-hydroxypyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine) have shown that the African trypanosomes are biologically and biochemically similar to Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi with respect to their response to this compound. These organisms, as a group, share the unique ability to convert allopurinol sequentially to its ribonucleoside monophosphate and 4-aminopyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine ribonucleoside mono-, di- and triphosphates.