Mechanism of Apparent Transcription Inhibition by Methyl Mercury in Cerebellar Neurons

Abstract: We have investigated the mechanism of inhibition of RNA synthesis by methyl mercury (MeHg) in isolated neonatal rat cerebellar cells. Each of the three component steps involved in the incorporation of exogenous [³H]uridine into cellular RNA was examined separately in whole-cell and/or subcellular preparations. Nuclear RNA polymerase activity was measured in preparations containing both free nuclei and whole cells. Incorporation of [³H]UTP into nuclear RNA was found to be unimpaired at concentrations of MeHg that inhibited whole-cell incorporation of [³H]uridine by > 75%. Cellular uptake of [³H]uridine was assayed in cerebellar cells treated with KCN to deplete ATP levels and block subsequent phosphorylation reactions of transported uridine. Uptake activity under these conditions was unaffected by MeHg. Measurement of intracellular phosphorylation of [³H]uridine indicated that inhibition of this activity closely paralleled that of RNA synthesis. Quantitation of individual uridine nucleotides by polyethyleneimine-cellulose TLC revealed reduced levels of UTP and UDP whereas levels of UMP were elevated, suggesting that impairment of phosphorylation was not the result of cellular ATP depletion but, more likely, a direct effect on phosphouridine kinase enzymes. This mechanism of MeHg-induced inhibition of RNA synthesis was confirmed by assays of uridine phosphorylation using cell-free extracts in which exogenous ATP was supplied.     

Uridine kinase activities and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylation in fluoropyrimidine-sensitive and -resistant cell lines of the Novikoff hepatoma.

Uridine kinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the activation (phosphorylation) of uridine and the corresponding chemotherapeutic analogues, is present as two isoenzymes localized exclusively in the cytosol of rapidly growing neoplasms, including the S-37 sarcoma, EL-4 leukaemia, HeLa cells (a human carcinoma) and the Novikoff hepatoma. The activities of the isolated isoenzymes are markedly decreased when the concentrations of ATP, phosphate or Mg2+ that are optimum in vitro are replaced by concentrations of ATP, phosphate or Mg2+ that are optimum in vitro are replaced by concentrations approximating to those found in vivo. Further, comparisons of the Km values of isolated uridine kinases with those for cellular uptake of pyrimidine nucleosides and their rate of intracellular phosphorylation suggest that nucleoside-transport systems play a rate-limiting role in nucleoside analogue activation and consequently that it is impossible to estimate the Km of uridine kinase in the intact cell. During the development of tumour-cell resistance to 5-fluorouracil or 5-fluorouridine in vivo there was an early differential increase in the activity of a low-affinity (high-Km) uridine kinase isoenzyme, as measured in cell extracts, and a 7-fold increase in the Km values for the uptake of both uridine and 5-fluorouridine into the intact resistant cells.     

Regulatory interaction of ATP Na+ and Cl- in the turnover cycle of the NaK2Cl cotransporter

To probe the mechanism by which intracellular ATP, Na+, and Cl- influence the activity of the NaK2Cl cotransporter, we measured bumetanide-sensitive (BS) 86Rb fluxes in the osteosarcoma cell line UMR- 106-01. Under physiological gradients of Na+, K+, and Cl-, depleting cellular ATP by incubation with deoxyglucose and antimycin A (DOG/AA) for 20 min at 37 degrees C reduced BS 86Rb uptake from 6 to 1 nmol/mg protein per min. Similar incubation with 0.5 mM ouabain to inhibit the Na+ pump had no effect on the uptake, excluding the possibility that DOG/AA inhibited the uptake by modifying the cellular Na+ and K+ gradients. Loading the cells with Na+ and depleting them of K+ by a 2-3- h incubation with ouabain or DOG/AA increased the rate of BS 86Rb uptake to approximately 12 nmol/mg protein per min. The unidirectional BS 86Rb influx into control cells was approximately 10 times faster than the unidirectional BS 86Rb efflux. On the other hand, at steady state the unidirectional BS 86Rb influx and efflux in ouabain-treated cells were similar, suggesting that most of the BS 86Rb uptake into the ouabain-treated cells is due to K+/K+ exchange. The entire BS 86Rb uptake into ouabain-treated cells was insensitive to depletion of cellular ATP. However, the influx could be converted to ATP-sensitive influx by reducing cellular Cl- and/or Na+ in ouabain-treated cells to impose conditions for net uptake of the ions. The BS 86Rb uptake in ouabain-treated cells required the presence of Na+, K+, and Cl- in the extracellular medium. Thus, loading the cells with Na+ induced rapid 86Rb (K+) influx and efflux which, unlike net uptake, were insensitive to cellular ATP. Therefore, we suggest that ATP regulates a step in the turnover cycle of the cotransporter that is required for net but not K+/K+ exchange fluxes. Depleting control cells of Cl- increased BS 86Rb uptake from medium-containing physiological Na+ and K+ concentrations from 6 to approximately 15 nmol/mg protein per min. The uptake was blocked by depletion of cellular ATP with DOG/AA and required the presence of all three ions in the external medium. Thus, intracellular Cl- appears to influence net uptake by the cotransporter. Depletion of intracellular Na+ was as effective as depletion of Cl- in stimulating BS 86Rb uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

An energy requirement for the degradation of intravenously injected 125I-labeled albumin in mouse liver and kidney slices.

Liver and kidney slices prepared 30min after intravenous injections of formaldehyde-treated 125I-labelled bovine serum albumin into mice degrade approx. 25-40% of the protein to a trichloroacetic acid-soluble form during 60min incubation at 37 degrees C. The presence of bicarbonate in Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium inhibited intracellular proteolysis, and similar results were obtained at pH5 or pH7 in kidney or liver slices. Cellular integrity was required to obtain substantial rates of proteolysis. This intralysosomal intracellular degradation of an exogenous protein was partially inhibited by inhibitors of oxidative ATP formation, such as cyanide, azide, 2,4-dinitrophenol and absence of oxygen. Arsenite and iodoacetamide were also effective inhibitors, but the effects of fluoride were variable. These results suggest that an energy requirement exists for intralysosomal proteolysis in intact cells and are consistent with the hypothesis that energy may be required to maintain intralysosomal acidity.     

Uptake of the neutral amino acids glutamine, leucine, and serine by Pneumocystis carinii.

Experiments to elucidate the mechanism by which Pneumocystis carinii transports glutamine, leucine, and serine were performed in this study. Uptake of all three radiolabeled amino acids exhibited first-order, saturation kinetics as extracellular substrate concentrations were increased, thus ruling out simple diffusion and indicating carrier-mediated transport. Kinetic analyses of amino acid uptake and the results of competitive inhibition experiments suggested that leucine, serine, and glutamine were taken up via a common transporter system. The uptake of serine was examined in greater detail to characterize the nature of the carrier. Serine uptake was not affected by N, N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone, ouabain, gramicidin, valinomycin, sodium azide, salicylhydroxamine acid (SHAM), iodoacetate, iodoacetate plus SHAM, KCN, and azide. Thus serine uptake did not require sodium or energy from ATP, an electrochemical proton gradient or a membrane potential across the cell surface (i.e., proton-motive force). Serine uptake was dependent on glucose in the extracellular compartment. In the presence of glucose, serine uptake was inhibited by chloramphenicol but not cycloheximide. The results from these experiments are most consistent with facilitated diffusion as the mechanism. After 30 min of incubation, most of the radioactivity was in the cellular soluble fraction. In most cases, incorporation into the extractable total lipids and the remaining particulate cellular components were detectable after this incubation period.     

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of high-spin iron(III) porphyrin compounds

1. There was no apparent correlation between the rate of respiration and rate of accumulation of proline in Candida albicans cells. 2. In contrast to normal cells, the respiration in the starved cells became completely cyanide insensitive. The starvation of cells in the presence of cycloheximide prevented the cells from becoming cyanide insensitive. The addition of Fe(III), however, accelerated the process. 3. Oxidizable substrates e.g. NADH, acetate and glucose, when added to cyanide-insensitive starved cells, exhibited 40--280% stimulation in respiration rate. However, this enhancement in oxidation by various substrates was not coupled to a simultaneous increase in the proline uptake or in intracellular ATP levels. 4. There was 6-fold stimulation in proline uptake when cyanide-insensitive cells were preincubated with 50 mM glucose. The preincubation of starved cells resulted in a partial restoration of cyanide sensitivity and increased intracellular ATP levels. The preincubation of starved cells with other oxidizable substrates resulted in a partial restoration of cyanide sensitivity but had no stimulatory effect on intracellular ATP levels and proline accumulation. 5. Both the enhanced uptake and ATP levels in glucose preincubated cells were found to be completely abolished by iodoacetate. 6. It is proposed that the increased proline uptake in cells preincubated with glucose was mainly due to the production of glycolytic energy.     

The kinetic dissection of transport from metabolic trapping during substrate uptake by intact cells. Uridine uptake by quiescent and serum-activated Nil 8 hamster cells and their murine sarcoma virus-transformed counterparts.

1. We present a theoretical analysis of the tandem processes of transport and metabolic trapping which together constitute uptake of a substrate by intact cells. 2. Transport is assumed to occur by means of a simple carrier here analysed in its general form. Trapping is assumed to occur by a simple enzymic reaction. 3. We show how to obtain the separate parameters of the steps by analysing uptake data over a range of uptake times and substrate concentrations. 4. We present uptake data for uridine and cytosine-beta-D-arabinoside entering Nil 8 hamster fibroblasts, normal and murine sarcoma virus transformed, in the quiescent condition and after stimulation by added serum. We analyse the data in terms of the theory for tandem processes. 5. Transport is characterised by a system having a high Km and a high V for entry. The data for cytosine-beta-D-arabinoside suggest that the cytosine-beta-D-arabinoside system is not far from a symmetric one. The data for uridine transport do not differ when quiescent and serum-activated cells are compared. Transformed cells transport uridine at half the maximum velocity of normal cells, with or without added serum. 6. Trapping of cytosine-beta-D-arabinoside is insignificant. Trapping of uridine occurs by a system with both V and Km at least an order of magnitude smaller than are these parameters for transport. Trapping of uridine by non-transformed cells activated by serum, has twice the V of such cells in the quiescent state. 7. In the virus-transformed cells, the control of uridine trapping by added serum is lost, along with control of growth by this stimulant.     

Salivary histatin 5 induces non-lytic release of ATP from Candida albicans leading to cell death.

Salivary histatins are potent in vitro antifungal proteins and have promise as therapeutic agents against oral candidiasis. We performed pharmacological studies directed at understanding the biochemical basis of Hst 5 candidacidal activity. Three inhibitors of mitochondrial metabolism: carbonyl cyanide p-chlorophenylhydrazone, dinitrophenol, and azide inhibited Hst 5 killing of Candida albicans, while not inhibiting cellular ATP production. In contrast, Hst 5 caused a drastic reduction of C. albicans intracellular ATP content, which was a result of an efflux of ATP. Carbonyl cyanide p-chlorophenylhydrazone, dinitrophenol, and azide inhibited Hst 5-induced ATP efflux, thus establishing a correlation between ATP release and cell killing. Furthermore, C. albicans cells were respiring and had polarized membranes at least 80 min after ATP release, thus implying a non-lytic exit of cellular ATP in response to Hst 5. Based on evidence that transmembrane ATP efflux can occur in the absence of cytolysis through a channel-like pathway and that released ATP can act as a cytotoxic mediator by binding to membrane purinergic receptors, we evaluated whether extracellular ATP released by Hst 5 may have further functional role in cell killing. Consistent with this hypothesis, purinergic agonists BzATP and adenosine 5'O-(thiotriphosphate) induced loss of C. albicans cell viability and purinergic antagonists prevented Hst 5 killing.     

Mechanisms of bactericidal action of cinnamaldehyde against Listeria monocytogenes and of eugenol against L. monocytogenes and Lactobacillus sakei

The spice oil components eugenol and cinnamaldehyde possess activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but the mechanisms of action remain obscure. In broth media at 20 degrees C, 5 mM eugenol or 30 mM cinnamaldehyde was bactericidal (>1-log reduction in the number of CFU per milliliter in 1 h) to Listeria monocytogenes. At a concentration of 6 mM eugenol was bactericidal to Lactobacillus sakei, but treatment with 0.5 M cinnamaldehyde had no significant effect. To investigate the role of interference with energy generation in the mechanism of action, the cellular and extracellular ATP levels of cells in HEPES buffer at 20 degrees C were measured. Treatment of nonenergized L. monocytogenes with 5 mM eugenol, 40 mM cinnamaldehyde, or 10 microM carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) for 5 min prevented an increase in the cellular ATP concentration upon addition of glucose. Treatment of energized L. monocytogenes with 40 mM cinnamaldehyde or 10 microM CCCP caused a rapid decline in cellular ATP levels, but 5 mM eugenol had no effect on cellular ATP. Treatment of L. sakei with 10 mM eugenol prevented ATP generation by nonenergized cells and had no effect on the cellular ATP of energized cells. CCCP at a concentration of 100 microM had no significant effect on the cellular ATP of L. sakei. No significant changes in extracellular ATP were observed. Due to their rapidity, effects on energy generation clearly play a major role in the activity of eugenol and cinnamaldehyde at bactericidal concentrations. The possible mechanisms of inhibition of energy generation are inhibition of glucose uptake or utilization of glucose and effects on membrane permeability.     

Plasma Membrane and Chromaffin Granule Characteristics in Digitonin-Treated Chromaffin Cells

Digitonin permeabilizes the plasma membranes of bovine chromaffin cells to Ca2+, ATP, and proteins and allows micromolar Ca2+ in the medium to stimulate directly catecholamine secretion. In the present study the effects of digitonin (20 microM) on the plasma membrane and on intracellular chromaffin granules were further characterized. Cells with surface membrane labeled with [3H]galactosyl moieties retained label during incubation with digitonin. The inability of digitonin-treated cells to shrink in hyperosmotic solutions of various compositions indicated that tetrasaccharides and smaller molecules freely entered the cells. ATP stimulated [3H]norepinephrine uptake into digitonin-treated chromaffin cells fivefold. The stimulated [3H]norepinephrine uptake was inhibited by 1 microM reserpine, 30 microM NH4+, or 1 microM carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP). The data indicate that [3H]norepinephrine was taken up into the intracellular storage granules by the ATP-induced H+ electrochemical gradient across the granule membrane. Reduction of the medium osmolality from 310 mOs to 100 mOs was required to release approximately 50% of the catecholamine from chromaffin granules with digitonin-treated chromaffin cells which indicates a similar osmotic stability to that in intact cells. Chromaffin granules in vitro lost catecholamine when the digitonin concentration was 3 microM or greater. Catecholamine released into the medium by micromolar Ca2+ from digitonin-treated chromaffin cells that had subsequently been washed free of digitonin could not be pelleted in the centrifuge and was not accompanied by release of membrane-bound dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. The studies demonstrate that 20 microM of digitonin caused profound changes in the chromaffin cell plasma membrane permeability but had little effect on intracellular chromaffin granule stability and function. It is likely that the intracellular chromaffin granules were not directly exposed to significant concentrations of digitonin. Furthermore, the data indicate that during catecholamine release induced by micromolar Ca2+, the granule membrane was retained by the cells and that catecholamine release did not result from release of intact granules into the extracellular medium.     

Glucocorticoid action on rat thymic lymphocytes. Experiments utilizing adenosine to support cellular metabolism lead to a reassessment of catabolic hormone actions.

Inhibition of glucose uptake has been proposed as a primary cause of many of the subsequent inhibitory effects of glucocorticoids. This hypothesis has been tested in experiments where adenosine is substituted for glucose. Like glucose, adenosine maximally supports glycolytic and oxidative ATP generation, and by its use the hormonal inhibition of glucose uptake is circumvented. With adenosine, inhibition by cortisol is seen at at least one other metabolic site, respiratory ATP synthesis. This action can be observed by hormone-induced increases in levels of lactate, pyruvate, and AMP that accompany a lowering of ATP. Evidence for this metabolic action is also seen when cells are provided with a limiting amount of glucose; despite inhibition of glucose uptake, a cortisol-induced increase in lactate accompanies the reduction in levels of ATP. Decreased respiratory ATP synthesis is also suggested by a hormonal reduction in the metabolism of labeled exogenous pyruvate to 14CO2. Several experimental approaches suggest that inhibition of oxidative ATP production, rather than of glucose uptake, is the event most responsible for glucocorticoid-induced changes in the balance of adenine nucleotides, which in turn contribute to effects on protein synthesis and uridine uptake. First, the characteristic inhibitory cortisol effects on adenine nucleotides and protein synthesis are undiminished when adenosine is substituted for glucose. Second, in adenosine-supported cells the onset of the hormone-induced increase in levels of lactate corresponds closely to the appearance of measurable reductions in ATP. In contrast, when cells are supported by glucose, the hormonal inhibition of glucose uptake is maximal by 30 to 35 min, nearly an hour before effects on levels of ATP are detectable. Third, when cells are made strongly dependent upon glucose for ATP production by deprivation of exogenous substrate and cortisol is added at 90 min, a characteristic inhibition of the uptake of glucose added 40 min later is seen; nevertheless, this is insufficient to prevent added glucose from immediately and fully restoring ATP, rates of protein synthesis, and uridine uptake. Inhibitory effects on ATP, protein synthesis, and uridine do appear after an additional hour or so, a time commensurate with the development of an inhibition of oxidative metabolism. Fourth, limiting added glucose can reduce uptake more than cortisol, without reducing levels of ATP.     

Physiological basis for preferential uptake of D-alpha-aminoadipate over the L-isomer by Alcaligenes denitrificans.

Alcaligenes denitrificans, pre-incubated with D-alpha-aminoadipate and assayed for L-isomer uptake without removal of extracellular D-isomer, exhibits a reduced rate of uptake and a reduced level at which steady state is achieved. During D- or L-isomer uptake, intracellular alpha-aminoadipate is exclusively the L-configuration. These data are consistent with an intracellular, mediated reduction in L-isomer uptake as the physiological basis for preferential D-alpha-aminoadipate uptake by A. denitrificans growing on racemic alpha-aminoadipate. Translocated D-alpha-aminoadipate is rapidly metabolized to form an L-isomer pool which subsequently reduces the rate of L-isomer uptake and the level at which steady state occurs resulting in a preferred D-isomer uptake. Competitive inhibition of L-alpha-aminoadipate uptake by the D-isomer or a difference in the maximum rates of uptate uptake is an inducible process expressed only in the presence of that compound and while uptake of L-alpha-animoadipate is also inducible there is a low rate of constitutive uptake. While L-alpha-aminoadipate uptake occurs against a concentration gradient, uptake of the D-isomer is not against a gradient. D- and L-isomer uptake are active processes since both are inhibited by azide, cyanide and 2,4-dinitrophenol.     

Metformin Increases Mitochondrial Energy Formation in L6 Muscle Cell Cultures

A popular hypothesis for the action of metformin, the widely used anti-diabetes drug, is the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, specifically at complex I. This is consistent with metformin stimulation of glucose uptake by muscle and inhibition of gluconeogenesis by liver. Yet, mitochondrial inhibition is inconsistent with metformin stimulation of fatty acid oxidation in both tissues. In this study, we measured mitochondrial energy production in intact cells adapting an in vivo technique of phosphocreatine (PCr) formation following energy interruption (“PCr recovery”) to cell cultures. Metformin increased PCr recovery from either dinitrophenol (DNP) or azide in L6 cells. We found that metformin alone had no effect on cell viability as measured by total ATP concentration, trypan blue exclusion, or 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction. However, treatments with low concentrations of DNP or azide reversibly decreased ATP concentration. Metformin increased 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction during recovery from either agent. Viability measured by trypan blue exclusion indicated that cells were intact under these conditions. We also found that metformin increased free AMP and, to a smaller extent, free ADP concentrations in cells, an action that was duplicated by a structurally unrelated AMP deaminase inhibitor. We conclude that, in intact cells, metformin can lead to a stimulation of energy formation, rather than an inhibition.     

Naphthalene uptake by a Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate

The uptake of naphthalene has been investigated in the metabolizing cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens utilizing [1-14C]naphthalene. The uptake displayed an affinity constant (Kt) of 11 microM and a maximal velocity (Vmax) of 17 nmol.h-1.mg-1 cellular dry weight. Naphthalene uptake was not observed in a mutant strain, TG-5, which was unable to utilize naphthalene as a sole source of carbon for growth. Uptake was significantly inhibited (approximately 90%) by the presence of growth-inhibiting levels of either azide or 2,4-dinitrophenol and was sensitive to the presence of structural analogues of naphthalene. The intracellular levels of ATP were not significantly reduced by the presence of either azide or 2,4-dinitrophenol. The presence of alpha-naphthol was found to noncompetitively inhibit naphthalene uptake, displaying a Ki of 0.041 microM. It is concluded that the first step in the utilization of naphthalene by Pseudomonas fluorescens is its transport into the cell by a specific energy-linked transport system.     

Effects of adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and related agents on ribonucleic acid synthesis and morphological differentiation in mouse neuroblastoma cells in culture.

A variety of compounds were assessed for their ability to induce morphological differentiation and to affect the synthesis of RNA in uncloned mouse neuroblastoma cells in culture. The stimulation of morphological differentiation in uncloned cells after exposure for 48 hours to concentrations of 3 times 10-7 to 3 times 10-4 M papavarine or 10-9 to 10-3 M dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (dibutyryl-cAMP) was associated, in part, with a concentration-dependent decrease in incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and heterogeneous RNA (HnRNA). The latter effect on cellular RNA produced by papavarine occurred within 1 hour after its addition to the medium and was associated with impaired uptake of radioactive precursor into uridine nucleotides and reduction in the intracellular concentration of uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP). Dibutytyl-cAMP produced a decreased in the specific radioactivity of UTP without affecting the concentration of UTP in the tumor cells. The effects of papavarine and dibutyryl-cAMP could be distinguished further by the 50% reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity produced by papavarine, but not by dibutyryl-cAMP. Papavarine did not, however, reduce the cellular level of the soluble enzyme, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase. Sodium butyrate, while producing morphological effects similar to those of papavarine and dibutyryl-cAMP at equimolar concentrations, caused no significant changes in the incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into rRNA and HnRNA; however, acetylcholinesterase activity was stimulated 6- to 7-fold above control levels. In contrast to the other differentiating agents examined, addition of 10-9 to 3 times 10-4 M concentrations of cAMP to the tissue culture medium enhanced morphological differentiation of nueroblastoma cells, and caused a 10- to 20-fold stimulation of the incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into rRNA and HnRNA at concentrations of 10-4 M and higher. This effect observed only at high concentrations of cyclic nucleotide was accompanied by an elevation in the specific acitivty of UTP, These studies suggest that the morphological response of neuroblastoma cells is not necessarily associated with concomitant alterations in the synthesis of RNA with agents other than cAMP. Observed changes in incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into RNA appear in most instances to be due to alterations in the uptake of uridine, and in the pool size and specific radioactivity of UTP.     

Differential arrest of secretory protein transport in cultured rat hepatocytes by azide treatment

The effect of reduced cellular ATP content on intracellular transport of two secretory proteins, albumin and haptoglobin, in isolated rat hepatocytes was studied. The cells were labeled with [35S]methionine and the cellular ATP content was then rapidly reduced to different stable levels by incubation with azide at different concentrations (2.0- 10 mM). The amount of the radioactively labeled secretory proteins in the cells and in the medium after 150 min of incubation was determined by immunoprecipitation followed by gel electrophoresis, fluorography, and densitometry. At progressively lower ATP levels, down to 50% of normal, the protein secretion was unaffected, whereas at even lower levels an increasing portion of the proteins remained in the cells; at 30 and 10% of normal ATP level, 25 and 75% of albumin, respectively, was arrested intracellularly. Analysis of the carbohydrate structure of intracellularly arrested haptoglobin showed that in cells with an ATP level of approximately 30% of normal, the majority of haptoglobin molecules (55%) were fully or partially resistant to endoglycosidase H. This result indicates that exit from the medial and/or the trans part of the Golgi complex (GC) was inhibited under these conditions. It also shows that the protein had accumulated in the GC, since under normal conditions the fraction of the intracellular haptoglobin that is endoglycosidase H resistant is approximately 10%. By similar criteria it was found that at ATP levels below 10% of normal transport of haptoglobin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the medial GC (and possibly also to the cis GC) as well as from the trans GC to the medium were blocked.     

Uridine transport in Novikoff rat hepatoma cells and other cell lines and its relationship to uridine phosphorylation and phosphorolysis.

Time courses of [³H]uridine uptake as a function of uridine concentration were determined at 25° in untreated and ATP-depleted wild-type and uridine kinase-deficient Novikoff cells and in mouse L and P388 cells, Chinese hamster ovary cells and human HeLa cells. Short term uptake was measured by a rapid sampling technique which allows sampling of cell suspensions in intervals as short as one and one-half seconds. The initial segments of the time courses were the same in untreated, wild-type cells in which uridine is rapidly phosphorylated and in cells in which uridine phosphorylation was prevented due to lack of ATP or uridine kinase. The initial rates of uptake, therefore, reflected the rate of uridine transport. Uridine uptake, however, was approximately linear for only five to ten seconds at uridine concentrations from 20–160 μM and somewhat longer at higher concentrations. In phosphorylating cells the rate of uridine uptake (at 80 μM) then decreased to about 20–30% of the initial rate and this rate was largely determined by the rate of phosphorylation rather than transport. At uridine concentrations below 1 μM, however, the rate of intracellular phosphorylation in Novikoff cells approached the transport rate. The apparent substrate saturation of phosphorylation suggests the presence of a low K_m uridine phosphorylation system in these cells. The “zero-trans” (zt) K_m for the facilitated transport of uridine as estimated from initial uptake rates fell between 50 and 240 μM for all cell lines examined. The zero-trans V_max values were also similar for all the lines (4–15 pmoles/μ1 cell H₂O.sec). The time courses of uridine uptake by CHO cells and the kinetic constants for transport were about the same whether the cells were propagated (and analyzed for uridine uptake) in suspension or monolayer culture. When Novikoff cells were preloaded with 10 μM uridine the apparent K_m and V_max values (infinite-trans) were two to three times higher than the corresponding zero-trans values. Uridine transport was inhibited in a simple competitive manner by several other ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides. All nucleosides seem to be transported by the same system, but with different efficiencies. Uridine transport was also inhibited by hypoxanthine, adenine, thymine, Persantin, papaverin, and o-nitrobenzylthioinosine, and by pretreatment of the cells with p-chloromercuri-benzoate, but not by high concentrations of cytosine, D-ribose or acronycin. The inhibition of uridine transport by Persantin involved changes in both V and K. Because of the rapidity of transport, some loss of intracellular uridine occurred when cells were rinsed in buffer solution to remove extracellular substrate, even at 0°. This loss was prevented by the presence of a transport inhibitor, Persantin, in the rinse fluid or by separating suspended cells from the medium by centrifugation through oil. Metabolic conversion of intracellular uridine were also found to continue during the rinse period. The extent of artifacts due to efflux and metabolism during rinsing increased with duration of the rinse.     

INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE LEVELS OF ATP, ADENOSINE AND CYCLIC AMP IN INCUBATED SLICES OF GUINEA-PIG CEREBRAL CORTEX: EFFECTS OF DEPOLARIZING AGENTS, PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS AND METABOLIC INHIBITORS

—Adenine nucleotides of guinea-pig cerebral cortical slices were labelled during a 40 min incubation with [¹⁴C]adenine. Subsequent incubation of cortical slices with depolarizing agents, such as veratridine, ouabain, batrachotoxin and high concentrations of potassium ions, or with certain psychotropic drugs such as chlorpromazine, chlorimipramine or prenylamine resulted in a reduction in both endogenous and radioactive ATP, accompanied by a marked increase in levels of both endogenous and radioactive cyclic AMP. Reduction of ATP levels during incubation with depolarizing agents, such as veratridine, is probably associated with increased activity of membranal Na⁺-K⁺-activated ATPase, while the reduction elicited by psychotropic drugs is proposed to be due to inhibition of mitochondrial synthesis of ATP. With both classes of compounds reduction of ATP levels results in enhanced formation and efflux of adenosine which stimulates formation of cyclic AMP from intracellular ATP in the compartments of brain slices which contain the cyclic AMP-generating systems. Certain classical metabolic inhibitors such as 2,4-dinitrophenol, azide, 1,2-naphthoquinone-8-sulfonate and cyanide also reduce ATP levels and in the case of 2,4-dinitrophenol, cyanide, and azide elicit small but significant accumulations of cyclic AMP. With certain metabolic inhibitors reduction of ATP within the cyclic AMP generating compartments would appear to prevent or reduce the accumulation of cyclic AMP elicited by amines, adenosine or veratridine.     

Depletion and recovery of ATP in V79 cells with exposure to inhibitors of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation

Summary Cells of the cultured hamster cell line V79 were labeled with tritiated adenosine and incubated for up to 30 min in the presence of inhibitors of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. These inhibitors were (a) 5 mM KCN plus 5 mM iodoacetate, (b) 5 mM KCN plus 5 mM KF, and (c) 15 mM KCN plus 15 mM KF. The fate of the tritium label was examined during incubation with inhibitors and also during subsequent incubation in growth medium in the absence of inhibitors. The tritiated ATP pool was found to decrease in cells incubated in the presence of any of the inhibitor combinations, but only in the presence of 15 mM KCN plus 15 mM KF was this pool decreased below the level of detection. After cells were incubated with KCN plus KF, a high level of ATP was recovered when the inhibitors were removed. Cells incubated with KCN plus iodoacetate retained depletion levels of ATP. Plating efficiency and trypan blue staining showed that KCN-KF treated cells retained viability, whereas KCN-iodoacetate treated cells did not. Cells were examined for ability to take up tritiated uridine before, during, and after depletion of ATP by incubation in the presence of 15 mM KCN plus 15 mM KF. These cells were found to have a variation in uridine uptake that was related directly to intracellular ATP level. Cells in which the ATP was very low exhibited little or no uridine uptake, whereas cells in which the ATP level was near normal exhibited normal uridine uptake. This work was supported in part by Grant GM24271 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.