Abstract
WARBURG et al.1 observed that tumour tissues almost always had a higher rate of aerobic glycolysis than normal cells. Warburg attributed this to irreversible damage to the respiratory pathways. The theory was a source of contention from the beginning. It was abandoned by most workers when it was found that glycolysis very rapidly increased (in a few days) when tissues were explanted and maintained as tissue cultures2–4. Since then many factors, such as pH and oxygen tension, have been shown to influence both glycolysis and respiration in cultured cells5–7 ; the increase of glycolysis on explantation can easily be explained by these findings. Reduced respiration and increased glycolysis in tumours in vivo can be explained similarly, knowing that most tumours have an inadequate blood supply. For this reason, and because wide differences in behaviour are found among different cell lines8, the significance of Warburg's findings has been questioned. Nevertheless, there is good evidence9,10 that there is a fundamental difference in glycolysis of normal and tumour cells.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Warburg, O., The Metabolism of Tumours (London, Constable, 1930).
Paul, J., and Pearson, E. S., Exp. Cell Res., 12, 212 (1957).
Paul, J., and Pearson, E. S., Exp. Cell Res., 12, 223 (1957).
Warburg, O., Gawehn, K., Giessler, A. W., Schröder, W., Gewitz, H. W., and Volker, W., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 78, 573 (1958).
Paul, J., J. Exp. Zool., 142, 475 (1959).
Paul, J., Path. Biol., 9, 529 (1961).
Danes, B. S., and Paul, J., Exp. Cell Res., 24, 344 (1961).
Danes, B. S., Broadfoot, M., and Paul, J., Exp. Cell Res., 30, 369 (1963).
Woods, M. W., Sanford, K. K., Burk, D., and Earle, W. R., J. Nat. Cancer Inst., 23, 1079 (1959).
Ashmore, J., Weber, G., Banerjee, G., and Love, W. C., J. Nat. Cancer Inst., 27, 863 (1961).
Macpherson, I., and Stoker, M., Virology, 16, 147 (1962).
Stoker, M., and Macpherson, I., Nature, 203, 1355 (1964).
Macpherson, I., J. Nat. Cancer Inst., 30, 795 (1963).
Stoker, M., Virology, 18, 649 (1962).
Paul, J., and Danes, B. S., Anal. Biochem., 2, 470 (1961).
Defendi, V., Lehman, J., and Kraemer, P., Virology, 19, 592 (1963).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BROADFOOT, M., WALKER, P., PAUL, J. et al. Glycolysis and Respiration of Transformed BHκ2I Cells. Nature 204, 79 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/204079a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/204079a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.