Abstract
The flux through the purine and pyrimidine metabolism of normal lymphocytes, resting as well as proliferating, and lymphoblastic cell-line cells (MOLT-3) was measured by incubation of the cells with radioactive precursors of either “de novo” or “salvage” pathways. Tonsillar lymphocytes were taken as immature, slowly proliferating lymphocytes (2% in S phase) and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes as more actively proliferating lymphocytes (about 8% and 20% in S phase on the 2nd and 4th day after stimulation, resp.). The incorporation of the precursors in the purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides was followed by a combination of anion-exchange HPLC and on-line radioactivity measurement.
Lymphoblastic cell-line cells incorporated 10 to 200 times more of the various precursors in the ribonucleotides, compared to both resting and proliferating normal lymphocytes. The low adenine:guanine ratio in leukemic cells was reflected in the incorporation pattern of the various precursors. To some extent, this was also true for the low uracil:cytosine ratio. The activities of the branch-point enzymes IMP dehydrogenase and CTP synthetase most likely determine the imbalance in the nucleotide pool of lymphoblastic cells and might provide targets for selective chemotherapy.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marijnen, Y., De Korte, D., S Den Breejen, B. et al. 82 PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE METABOLISM OF NORMAL AND LEUKEMIC CELLS. Pediatr Res 24, 124 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198807000-00106
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198807000-00106