UPTAKE AND RELEASE OF [14C]ADENINE DERIVATIVES AT BEDS OF MAMMALIAN CORTICAL SYNAPTOSOMES IN A SUPERFUSION SYSTEM

(1) Synaptosomal fractions from guinea pig neocortical dispersions prepared in sucrose solutions were deposited from saline media as ‘beds’ on nylon bolting cloth. When incubated with 0.5–10 μm -[¹⁴C]adenine or adenosine in glucose bicarbonate salines, uptake of ¹⁴C from adenosine proceeded at about four times the rate of uptake of [¹⁴C]adenine. This contrasted with the relative uptake of the two compounds to neocortical tissue slices or to beds made from mitochondrial fractions, where uptake was similar with the two precursors. Uptake of both precursors to synaptosome beds was much greater than uptake of inosine. (2) Synaptosome beds, [¹⁴C]adenosine-loaded, contained 88 per cent of the ¹⁴C as 5′-adenine nucleotides, the remainder being present as cyclic AMP, inosine, hypoxanthine and adenosine. When superfused, the ¹⁴C output consisted mainly of adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine, with some 7 per cent of 5′-nucleotides and 4 per cent of cyclic AMP. (3) Electrical pulses and the addition of 50 mm -KCl each increased the efflux of ¹⁴C from superfused [¹⁴C]adenosine-loaded beds. The superfusates issuing after excitation contained the same ¹⁴C-labelled compounds as issued before, with a small increase in the proportional yield of adenosine. The additional output of ¹⁴C following electrical pulses was diminished by about 50 per cent by 0.5 μm -tetrodotoxin while that following KCl was not affected; it was however prevented when the superfusing fluids were free of Ca²⁺.     

Purine and pyrimidine metabolism in cultured white spruce (Picea glauca) cells: Metabolic fate of 14C-labeled precursors and activity of key enzymes

In order to examine the biosynthesis, interconversion, and degradation of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides in white spruce cells, radiolabeled adenine, adenosine, inosine, uracil, uridine, and orotic acid were supplied exogenously to the cells and the overall metabolism of these compounds was monitored. [8‐¹⁴C]adenine and [8‐¹⁴C]adenosine were metabolized to adenylates and part of the adenylates were converted to guanylates and incorporated into both adenine and guanine bases of nucleic acids. A small amount of [8‐¹⁴C]inosine was converted into nucleotides and incorporated into both adenine and guanine bases of nucleic acids. High adenosine kinase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase activities in the extract suggested that adenosine and adenine were converted to AMP by these enzymes. No adenosine nucleosidase activity was detected. Inosine was apparently converted to AMP by inosine kinase and/or a non‐specific nucleoside phosphotransferase. The radioactivity of [8‐¹⁴C]adenosine, [8‐¹⁴C]adenine, and [8‐¹⁴C]inosine was also detected in ureide, especially allantoic acid, and CO₂. Among these 3 precursors, the radioactivity from [8‐¹⁴C]inosine was predominantly incorporated into CO₂. These results suggest the operation of a conventional degradation pathway. Both [2‐¹⁴C]uracil and [2‐¹⁴C]uridine were converted to uridine nucleotides and incorporated into uracil and cytosine bases of nucleic acids. The salvage enzymes, uridine kinase and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase, were detected in white spruce extracts. [6‐¹⁴C]orotic acid, an intermediate of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, was efficiently converted into uridine nucleotides and also incorporated into uracil and cytosine bases of nucleic acids. High activity of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase was observed in the extracts. A large proportion of radioactivity from [2‐¹⁴C]uracil was recovered as CO₂ and β‐ureidopropionate. Thus, a reductive pathway of uracil degradation is functional in these cells. Therefore, white spruce cells in culture demonstrate both the de novo and salvage pathways of purine and pyrimidine metabolism, as well as some degradation of the substrates into CO₂.     

The metabolism of adenine derivatives in different parts of the brain of the rat,and their release from hypothalamic preparations on excitation

Five enzymes concerned with the metabolism of adenine derivatives were assayed in seven regions of the rat brain. A region which included the hypothalamus had the highest AMP deaminase and adenosine deaminase activities, while its 5'-nucleotidase activities were relatively low. The enzymes named and also the uptake of [¹⁴C]adenine by incubated tissue samples were more active with hypothalamic than with neocortical tissues. On superfusion with glucose-bicarbonate saline after assimilating [¹⁴C]adenine, the hypothalamic tissues released about 0.2% of their ¹⁴C content per minute. This release was increased fourfold with electrical excitation but the presence of 0.25 μUM tetrodotoxin prevented most of this increase. The compounds released during superfusion and electrical stimulation were preponderantly hypoxanthine, inosine, and adenosine, with only small amounts of adenine nucleotides. The output of all these compounds increased during the period of stimulation and also the proportion of adenine nucleotides increased when stimulation was carried out in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The output of the nucleotides and adenosine increased more promptly when stimulated than did that of the other compounds named. The results are discussed in terms of the metabolic roles of the enzymes concerned, and in relation to whether the enzymes are acting on intracellular or extracellular substrates.     

PURINE NUCLEOTIDE METABOLISM IN THE CAT BRAIN AFTER ONE HOUR OF COMPLETE ISCHEMIA

—Complete cerebral ischemia was produced in normothermic anaesthetized cats by clamping the innominate and the left subclavian arteries combined with lowering the blood pressure. After 1 h of ischemia, ATP was no longer present in detectable amounts. Total adenine nucleotides were reduced to 34 per cent of the normal level. The breakdown of guanine nucleotides was less marked, with small amounts of GTP still being present at the end of the ischemic period. In animals with signs of functional recovery after 3–7 h of recirculation, ATP was resynthesized to 62 per cent of the control level. Total adenine nucleotides increased to 68 per cent and the adenylate energy change—[ATP + 1/2 ADP]/[AMP + ADP + ATP]—was re-established to within 7 per cent of the pre-ischemic value. Radiochromatography of nucleotides following intravenous injection of [¹⁴C]formate indicated a marked enhancement of postischemic purine de novo synthesis. Purine nucleosides and free bases which accumulated during ischemia, were partially re-utilized by salvage pathways: adenosine was rephosphorylated to AMP by adenosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.20); inosine and hypoxanthine were re-used via IMP in a reaction mediated by hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8).     

Purine reutilization in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human T-lymphocytes.

Incubation of human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) resulted in increased rates of metabolism of the purine bases adenine, hypoxanthine, and guanine. The respective rates decreased to unmeasurable levels in cells incubated without PHA. [¹⁴C]Adenine was converted predominantly into adenine nucleotides, with slight catabolism to hypoxanthine and very low conversion into guanine nucleotides. [¹⁴C]Guanine labeled predominantly the guanine nucleotide pool, but some adenine nucleotide formation also took place. From [¹⁴C]hypoxanthine, adenine nucleotides in the soluble pool were more heavily labeled than the guanine nucleotides, whereas in the nucleic acid fraction the latter contained more radioactivity. Adenosine at low concentrations was mainly phosphorylated to adenine nucleotides, but at higher concentrations this process leveled off, while deamination continued to increase linearly. PHA-stimulation resulted in an increased rate of adenosine metabolism but no qualitative differences in comparison to unstimulated cells were observed. Enzyme assays indicated that after PHA-stimulation the activities of adenine and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferases, and those of adenosine deaminase and kinase, increased with a peak at 48 h, when expressed on a per cell basis, but not at all when expressed per mg of protein. We conclude that stimulation of human T-lymphocytes with PHA increases the capacity of the cells for purine nucleotide synthesis from all the directly re-utilizable catabolic products, namely the purine bases and adenosine.     

The metabolism of adenine derivatives in different parts of the brain of the rat, and their release from hypothalamic preparations on excitation.

Five enzymes concerned with the metabolism of adenine derivatives were assayed in seven regions of the rat brain. A region which included the hypothalamus had the highest AMP deaminase and adenosine deaminase activities, while its 5'-nucleotidase activities were relatively low. The enzymes named and also the uptake of [14C]adenine by incubated tissue samples were more active with hypothalamic than with neocortical tissues. On superfusion with glucose-bicarbonate saline after assimilating [14C]adenine, the hypothalamic tissues released about 0.2 per cent of their 14C content per minute. This release was increased fourfold with electrical excitation but the presence of 0.25 muM tetrodotoxin prevented most of this increase. The compounds released during superfusion and electrical stimulation were preponderantly hypoxanthine, inosine, and adenosine, with only small amounts of adenine nucleotides. The output of all these compounds increased during the period of stimulation and also the proportion of adenine nucleotides increased when stimulation was carried out in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The output of the nucleotides and adenosine increased more promptly when stimulated than did that of the other compounds named. The results are discussed in terms of the metabolic roles of the enzymes concerned. and in relation to whether the enzymes are acting on intracellular or extracellular substrates.     

A sensitive fluorimetric procedure for the determination of aliphatic epoxides under physiological conditions

Ribose 1-phosphate has been measured in rat tissues by an enzymatic radioactive assay. The sugar phosphate is converted into [¹⁴C]inosine via the two following combined reactions: ribose 1-phosphate + [¹⁴C]adenine ? [¹⁴C]adenosine + phosphate (adenosine phosphorylase); [¹⁴C]adenosine + H₂O → [¹⁴C]inosine + NH₃ (adenosine deaminase). Tissue extracts are incubated in the presence of excess [¹⁴C]adenine. The radioactivity of inosine, separated by a thin-layer chromatographic system, is a measure of ribose 1-phosphate present in tissue extracts. Liver was found to contain the highest level of ribose 1-phosphate (ca. 800 nmol/g wet wt).     

Adenine derivatives as neurohumoral agents in the brain. The quantities liberated on excitation of superfused cerebral tissues

Adenine nucleotides of guinea-pig neocortical tissues were labelled by incubation with [(14)C]adenine and excess of adenine was then removed by superfusion with precursor-free medium. Adenine derivatives released from the tissue during continued superfusion, including a period of electrical stimulation of the tissue, were collected by adsorption and examined after elution and concentration. The stimulation greatly increased the (14)C output, and material collected during and just after stimulation had a u.v. spectrum which indicated adenosine to be a major component. The additional presence of inosine and hypoxanthine was shown by chromatography and adenosine was identified also by using adenosine deaminase. Total adenine derivatives released from the tissue during a 10min period of stimulation were obtained as hypoxanthine, after deamination and hydrolysis of adenosine and inosine, and amounted to 159nmol/g of tissue. This corresponded to the release of approx. 7pmol/g of tissue per applied stimulus. The hypoxanthine sample derived from superfusate hypoxanthine, inosine and adenosine was of similar specific radioactivity to the sample of inosine separated chromatographically, and each was of higher specific radioactivity than the adenine nucleotides obtained by cold-acid extraction of the tissue.     

SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF [14C]ADENINE DERIVATIVES NEWLY-FORMED IN CEREBRAL TISSUES AND THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL EXCITATION

Abstract— Guinea pig neocortical tissues were incubated with [¹⁴C]adenine, dispersed in cold isotonic sucrose and subcellular fractions prepared by centrifugation. Some 98 per cent of the assimilated ¹⁴C was found as acid-soluble nucleotides in the incubated tissues. In primary fractions obtained by differential centrifugation, about 60 per cent of the [¹⁴C]-nucleotides were in supernatant fractions, in distinction to ATP of which the greatest molar quantity (61 per cent of that in the dispersion) was in the crude mitochondrial fraction. When the crude mitochondrial fraction was separated by density gradient centrifugation, most ¹⁴C was found in synaptosomal fractions and about 85 per cent of this ¹⁴C was adenine nucleotides.
Electrical stimulation of incubating tissues immediately prior to their dispersion and centrifugation greatly diminished the proportion of ¹⁴C subsequently found in nucleotides (collectively) in the supernatant fraction, and increased their inosine and hypoxanthine. Stimulation increased the tissue's cyclic AMP but a preferential localization for this was not established. Results are tentatively interpreted in terms of liberation of an adenine derivative on excitation, and its action or reuptake at a tissue component different from that from which it was liberated. Fractionation of tissues which had been incubated with both [¹⁴C]-adenine and [³H]adenosine suggested that of the two compounds, more adenosine was taken up by synaptic regions in preference to other cellular regions of the tissue.     

ACTIONS OF NEUROHUMORAL AGENTS AND CEREBRAL METABOLITES ON OUTPUT OF ADENINE DERIVATIVES FROM SUPERFUSED TISSUES OF THE BRAIN

—Adenine nucleotides of guinea-pig neocortical tissues were labelled by prior incubation with [¹⁴C]adenine and excess of adenine was then removed by superfusion with precursor-free media. During continued superfusion labelled adenine derivatives were released at a stable rate of about 0·05 per cent of the tissue ¹⁴C/min and this rate was increased about five-fold by electrical stimulation. Various compounds, including some known to increase the cyclic AMP content of cerebral tissues, were examined for action on the release of [¹⁴C]adenine derivatives from the tissue and also on the rates of lactate production by the tissue, both before and during electrical excitation. The tissue content of adenine nucleotides following exposure of the tissue to these compounds was also determined. Noradrenaline, γ-aminobutyrate and acetylcholine together with carbamoylcholine at the concentrations examined were without effect on the release of ¹⁴C compounds from the tissue. Also, noradrenaline and γ-aminobutyrate caused no alteration in lactate production but brought about some decrease in the adenylate energy charge of the tissue. Histamine, 100 μm , brought about a small but consistent increase (35 per cent) both in release of ¹⁴C-compounds and lactate output, while reducing the adenylate energy charge of the tissues. l -Glutamate at 5 mm decreased the tissue adenylate energy charge to a greater extent than did histamine; it increased the release of ¹⁴C-compounds seven to eight-fold and similarly increased the tissues' rates of lactate production. Lower concentrations of glutamate had smaller effects. In those cerebral tissues whose cyclic AMP content is increased by l -glutamate, the increase is probably brought about by intermediation of released adenosine.     

Interaction between adenosine generated endogenously in neocortical tissues,and homocysteine and its thiolactone

[¹⁴C]Adenine derivatives in normal guinea pig or rat neocortical tissues maintained by superfusion included ATP, ADP and AMP collectively forming some 98% of the acid-extracted ¹⁴C; adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine each at less than 0.5% and S-adenosylhomocysteine at about 0.1%. l-Homocysteine and/or its thiolactone increased only a little the S-adenosylhomocysteine. The superfusion fluid carried from the tissue per minute about 0.1% of its acid-extractable [¹⁴C]adenine derivatives. Electrical stimulation of the superfused tissue increased 10-fold its output of [¹⁴C]adenine derivatives and diminished the 5′-nucleotides in the tissue to 94% of the acid-extractable [¹⁴C]adenine derivatives, the remainder being adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine with little change in S-adenosylhomocysteine. Homocysteine in the superfusion fluids now caused large increases in tissue S-adenosylhomocysteine, which became the preponderant non-nucleotide ¹⁴C-derivative when homocysteine was 0.1 mM or greater. The total [¹⁴C]adenine conversion to non-nucleotide derivatives then increased and the 5′-nucleotides fell to 88% of the total. It is concluded that concentration relationships observed in the action of homocysteine make it feasible that convulsive conditions and mental changes associated with administered homocysteine and with homocystinuria are due to cerebral adenosine concentrations being diminished through formation of S-adenosylhomocysteine. Adenosine is preponderantly depressant in cerebral actions; effects of the S-adenosylhomocysteine produced may also be relevant.     

Intracellular formation of analogues of cyclic AMP: Studies with brain slices labeled with radioactive derivatives of adenine and adenosine

A variety of radioactive analogs of adenine and adenosine were incubated with guinea pig cerebral cortical slices. Neither 1,N⁶-ethano[¹⁴C]adenosine nor 1,N⁶-ethanol[¹⁴C]adenine were significantly incorporated into intracellular nucleotides. 2-chloro[8-³H]adenine was incorporated, but at a very low rate and conclusive evidence for the formation of intracellular radioactive 2-chlorocyclic AMP was not obtained. N⁶-Benzyl[¹⁴C]adenosine was converted only to intracellular monophosphates and significant formation of radioactive N⁶-benzylcyclic AMP was not detected during a subsequent incubation. 2′-Deoxy-[8-¹⁴C] adenosine was converted to both intracellular radioactive 2′-deoxyadenine nucleotides and radioactive adenine nucleotides. Stimulation of these labeled slices with a variety of agents resulted in formation of both radioactive 2′-deoxycyclic AMP and cyclic AMP. Investigation of the effect of various other compounds on uptake of adenine or adenosine suggested that certain other adenosine analogs might serve as precursors of abnormal cyclic nucleotides in intact cells.     

Adenine mononucleotides and their metabolites liberated from and applied to isolated tissues of the mammalian brain

Preincubation with [¹⁴C] adenine labeled the nucleotide fraction of isolated cerebral tissues, which subsequently released 0.18% of their¹⁴C content per minute, a proportion increased threefold by electrical excitation. Of the¹⁴C released, 2–3% was as 5-adenine nucleotides and about 2% as cyclic adenosine 35-monophosphate (cAMP). Among the 5-nucleotides AMP greatly preponderated, and ATP and ADP were detected. When added to (unlabeled) incubating neocortical tissue, ATP and AMP yielded adenosine as the major product, with smaller quantities of inosine and hypoxanthine, to effluent fluids. cAMP so added yielded 5-nucleotides and the other compounds named; adenosine yielded mainly inosine and hypoxanthine. Results from these reactions and others in which theophylline was included led to the conclusion that an appreciable proportion of the effluent [¹⁴C] adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine derived from cAMP.     

Profiles of purine biosynthesis, salvage and degradation in disks of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers

To find general metabolic profiles of purine ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants, we looked at the in situ metabolic fate of various ¹⁴C-labelled precursors in disks from growing potato tubers. The activities of key enzymes in potato tuber extracts were also studied. Of the precursors for the intermediates in de novo purine biosynthesis, [¹⁴C]formate, [2-¹⁴C]glycine and [2-¹⁴C]5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxyamide ribonucleoside were metabolised to purine nucleotides and were incorporated into nucleic acids. The rates of uptake of purine ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides by the disks were in the following order: deoxyadenosine > adenosine > adenine > guanine > guanosine > deoxyguanosine > inosine > hypoxanthine > xanthine > xanthosine. The purine ribonucleosides, adenosine and guanosine, were salvaged exclusively to nucleotides, by adenosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.20) and inosine/guanosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.73) and non-specific nucleoside phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.1.77). Inosine was also salvaged by inosine/guanosine kinase, but to a lesser extent. In contrast, no xanthosine was salvaged. Deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine, was efficiently salvaged by deoxyadenosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.76) and deoxyguanosine kinase (EC 2.7.1.113) and/or non-specific nucleoside phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.1.77). Of the purine bases, adenine, guanine and hypoxanthine but not xanthine were salvaged for nucleotide synthesis. Since purine nucleoside phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.1) activity was not detected, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.7) and hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8) seem to play the major role in salvage of adenine, guanine and hypoxanthine. Xanthine was catabolised by the oxidative purine degradation pathway via allantoin. Activity of the purine-metabolising enzymes observed in other organisms, such as purine nucleoside phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.1), xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.22), adenine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.2), adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4) and guanine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.3), were not detected in potato tuber extracts. These results suggest that the major catabolic pathways of adenine and guanine nucleotides are AMP → IMP → inosine → hypoxanthine → xanthine and GMP → guanosine → xanthosine → xanthine pathways, respectively. Catabolites before xanthosine and xanthine can be utilised in salvage pathways for nucleotide biosynthesis.     

Metabolism of adenosine, AMP and ATP in rats

Metabolism of [14C]adenosine in a dose of 100 mg per 1 kg of mass and [14C]ATP in the equimolar quantity was studied in rats after intraperitoneal administration. Adenosine is shown to enter tissues of the liver, spleen, thymus, heart and erythrocytes where it phosphorylates into adenine nucleotides (mainly ATP) and deaminates into inosine. The content of adenosine increases for a short period in the above tissues, except for erythrocytes and plasma. The latter accumulates a considerable amount of inosine and hypoxanthine, but only traces of uric acid, xanthine and adenine nucleotides. ATP administered to rats catabolizes through the adenosine formation. The exogenic adenosine and ATP replace in tissues and erythrocytes only a slight part (1-12%) of their total adenine nucleotide pool. The content of these metabolites and ADP in the blood plasma does not change essentially under the effect of adenosine, ATP and AMP. It is shown on rats whose adenine nucleotide pool of cells is marked by the previous administration of [14C]adenine that injections of adenosine, ATP and inosine do not accelerate catabolism of adenine nucleotides in tissues and erythrocytes as well as do not increase the level of catabolism products in the blood plasma. Adenosine enhances and ATP lowers the content of cAMP in spleen and myocardium, respectively.     

Toxoplasma gondii: Purine synthesis and salvage in mutant host cells and parasites

Toxoplasma gondii, growing exponentially in heavily infected mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells that had a defined defect in purine biosynthesis, did not incorporate [U-¹⁴C]glucose or [¹⁴C]formate into the guanine or adenine of nucleic acids. Intracellular parasites therefore must be incapable of synthesizing purines and depend on their host cells for them. Extracellular parasites, which are capable of limited DNA and RNA synthesis, efficiently incorporated adenosine nucleotides, adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine into their nucleic acids; adenosine 5′-monophosphate was the best utilized precursor. Extracellular parasites incubated with ATP labeled with ³H in the purine base and ³²P in the α-phosphate incorporated the purine ring 50-fold more efficiently than they did the α-phosphate. Thus, ATP is largely degraded to adenosine before it can be used by T. gondii for nucleic acid synthesis. Two pathways for the conversion of adenosine to nucleotides appear to exist, one involving adenosine kinase, the other hypoxanthine—guanine phosphoribosyl transferase. In adenosine kinase-less mutant parasites, the efficiency of incorporation of ATP or adenosine was reduced by 75%, which indicates the adenosine kinase pathway was predominant. Extracellular parasites incorporated ATP into both the adenine and the guanine of their nucleic acids, so ATP from the host cell could supply the entire purine requirement of T. gondii. However, ATP generated by oxidative phosphorylation in the host cell is not essential for parasites because they grew normally in a cell mutant that was deficient in aerobic respiration and almost completely dependent upon glycolysis.     

Adenosine transport by the lung

Adenosine, a nucleoside and potent vasodilator, has been found to be taken up by the lung and converted by deamination into inosine and hypoxanthine. In a single circulation through an isolated rat lung, 69.3 +/- 3.3% of infused [14C]adenosine (10 microM) was removed from the circulation. Uptake of [14C]adenosine remained unchanged when deamination of adenosine was inhibited by 8-azaguanine or coformycin. In a single passage of adenosine through the pulmonary artery, very little of the deaminated products appeared in the pulmonary circulation, but when adenosine was recirculated through the pulmonary circulation inosine and hypoxanthine appeared in the venous effluent. These adenosine metabolites were also taken up by the lung. A major portion of the circulating adenosine was transported into the lung, where it was used to synthesize adenine nucleotides. Inhibition of adenosine kinase by iodotubercidin resulted in reduced formation of ATP and ADP. Uptake of adenosine by the lung was saturable on a concentration gradient and was a passive process because it was not affected by the absence of glucose or the presence of ouabain. Km and Vmax for adenosine transport were 0.227 mM and 4.6 mumol.min-1.g lung-1, respectively. Adenosine transport was inhibited by adenosine analogues, and the inhibitions were found to be competitive in nature. These results suggest that a specific and rate-limiting transport system exists in the lung for adenosine.     

Adenine nucleotide metabolism in isolated chicken hepatocytes.

The turnover of the adenine nucleotide pool, the pathway of the degradation of AMP and the occurrence of recycling of adenosine were investigated in isolated chicken hepatocytes, in which the adenylates had been labelled by prior incubation with [14C]adenine. Under physiological conditions, 85% of the IMP synthesized by the 'de novo' pathway (approx. 37 nmol/min per g of cells) was catabolized directly via inosine into uric acid, and 14% was converted into adenine nucleotides. The latter were found to turn over at the rate of approx. 5 nmol/min per g of tissue. Inhibition of adenosine deaminase by 1 microM-coformycin had no effect on the formation of labelled uric acid, indicating that the initial degradation of AMP proceeds by way of deamination rather than dephosphorylation. Inhibition of adenosine kinase by 100 microM-5-iodotubercidin resulted in a loss of labelled ATP, demonstrating that adenosine is normally formed from AMP but is recycled. Unexpectedly, 5-iodotubercidin did not decrease the total concentration of ATP, indicating that the loss of adenylates caused by inhibition of adenosine kinase was nearly completely compensated by formation of AMP de novo. Anoxia induced a greatly increased catabolism of the adenine nucleotide pool, which proceeded in part by dephosphorylation of AMP. On reoxygenation, the formation of AMP de novo was increased 8-fold as compared with normoxic conditions. The latter results indicate the existence of adaptive mechanisms in chick liver allowing, when required, channelling of the metabolic flux through the 'de novo' pathway, away from the uricotelic catabolic route, into the synthesis of adenine nucleotides.     

Uptake and metabolism of purine nucleosides and nucleotides in isolated frog skeletal muscle.

When isolated frog skeletal muscles were incubated with ¹⁴C-labeled adenosine, the nucleoside was rapidly taken up by the cells and was either immediately incorporated into adenine nucleotides or deaminated to inosine. Incorporation was predominant at low (micromolar) concentrations whereas, deamination was the major route of metabolism at high (millimolar) concentrations. When muscles were incubated with ¹⁴C-labeled inosine the nucleoside, after entry into the cells, was metabolized to a lesser extent than adenosine. ATP and hypoxanthine were the major products of its metabolism. Intracellular concentrations were calculated using ³H-labeled sorbitol to measure the extracellular space.Because of its lower rate of intracellular metabolism inosine was used to investigate the characteristics of the nucleoside transport system. The uptake of inosine was saturable at high concentrations and was specifically inhibited by the presence of adenosine or uridine in the incubation media. Persantin, a well known specific inhibitor of nucleoside transport, also competitively inhibited inosine uptake, as did theophylline [1, Woo et al. Can J. Physiol. Pharmacol. $\text{52}$, 1063, 1974]. These data, along with the knowledge that in a well-oxygenated muscle, inosine entry follows a downhill chemical potential gradient, strongly support the view that the transport mechanism is facilitated diffusion.The muscle cell membrane does not appear to be permeable to ¹⁴C-labeled ATP under the conditions studied. Investigations of the permeability to the major extracellular degradation products of ATP suggest that AMP was the compound most likely to cross the cell membrane.     

Pathways of adenine nucleotide catabolism in primary rat muscle cultures

The pathways of AMP degradation and the metabolic fate of adenosine were studied in cultured myotubes under physiological conditions and during artificially induced enhanced degradation of ATP. The metabolic pathways were gauged by tracing the flow of radioactivity from ATP, prelabelled by incubation of the cultures with [¹⁴C]adenine, into the various purine derivatives. The fractional flow from AMP to inosine through adenosine was estimated by the use of the adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4) inhibitors, coformycin and 2′-deoxycoformycin. The activities of the enzymes involved with AMP and adenosine metabolism were determined flow of label from ATP to diffusible bases and nucleosides, most of which are effluxed to the incubation medium. This catabolic flow is mediated almost exclusively by the activity of AMP deaminase (EC 3.5.4.6), rather than by AMP 5′-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5), reflecting the markedly higher V_max/K_m ratio for the deaminase. Enhancement of ATP degradation by inhibition of glycolysis or by combined inhibition of glycolysis and of electron transport resulted in a markedly greater flux of label from adenine nucleotides to nucleosides and bases, but did not alter significantly the ratio between AMP deamination and AMP dephosphorylation, which remained around 19:1. Combined inhibition of glycolysis and of electron transport resulted, in addition, in accumulation of label in IMP, reaching about 20% of total AMP degraded. In the intact myotubes at low adenosine concentration, the anabolic activity of adenosine kinase was at least 4.9-fold the catabolic activity of adenosine deaminase, in accord with the markedly higher V_max/K_m ratio of the kinase for adenosine. The results indicate the operation in the myotube cultures, under various rates of ATP degradation, of the AMP to IMP limb of the purine nucleotide cycle. On the other hand, the formation of purine bases and nucleosides, representing the majority of degraded ATP, indicates inefficient activity of the IMP to AMP limb of the cycle, as well as inefficient salvage of hypoxanthine under these conditions.