Metabolic effects of glucose starvation in animal cell cultures.

Cultures of animal cells that have been deprived of glucose or grown in media containing one of several other sugars in lieu of glucose have an enhanced ability to transport radio-labeled glucose. We have investigated the metabolic fate of radio-labeled glucose under these starvation conditions and have observed marked alterations in the accumulation products. These alterations are most prominent in the class of nucleotide sugars. The implications of these observed changes to possible changes in surface architecture and cell phenotype are discussed.