Pyrimidine excretion by cultured fibroblasts: effect of mutational deficiency in pyrimidine salvage enzymes

In cultured fibroblasts, a mutation resulting in deficiency of a pyrimidine salvage enzyme leads to excretion of related pyrimidines. For example, absence of thymidine kinase led to loss of thymidine and deoxyuridine, and absence of deoxycytidine kinase to loss of deoxyuridine. Both wild type and mutant cells excreted uracil; if established lines are representative in this respect, a fully adequate salvage system for uracil does not seem to be present in the fibroblast.