Project Materials

EFFECT OF METAL IONS ON ARGINASE FROM THE KIDNEY OF LOCAL GOAT (Capra aegagrus hircus)

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Arginase is a key enzyme in the urea cycle, which regulates nitrogen metabolism in animals. This enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of arginine to ornithine and urea, which is an important step in the conversion of ammonia to urea in the liver and other tissues.

Arginase is found in a variety of tissues, including the liver, kidney, and brain, and its activity is strictly regulated by pH, temperature, and substrate concentration (Takasaki et al., 2019). Furthermore, certain metal ions can alter arginase activity, enhancing or inhibiting it (Fernandes et al., 2018).

Metal ions are crucial cofactors for many enzymes and play important roles in a variety of biological processes. Copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc are four of the most frequent metal ions present in biological systems, and they have been shown to interact with a variety of enzymes, including arginase (Dudev and Lim 2014).

These metal ions can affect enzyme activity by binding to specific locations and affecting the enzyme’s conformation or catalytic activity (Gonzalez-Fernandez et al., 2020).

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in investigating the effect of metal ions on arginase activity in many sources, including animals, plants, and microbes (Fernandes et al., 2018).

Several investigations have found that metal ions can either promote or decrease arginase activity, depending on their concentration and type (Takasaki et al., 2019; Gonzalez-Fernandez et al., 2020).

However, the influence of metal ions on arginase activity in the kidney of a local goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) has not been thoroughly investigated.

Many countries, like Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, rely heavily on local goats for meat, milk, and other products. However, there is little information about the biochemistry and physiology of indigenous goats, notably in terms of nitrogen metabolism and urea cycle regulation.

Thus, examining the effect of metal ions on arginase activity in local goat kidney could provide valuable insights into the regulation of the urea cycle and nitrogen metabolism.