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The Anaerobic Metabolism of Pyruvate in Homogenates of Normal and Neoplastic Rat Tissues^*,

D. P. Groth and G. A. LePage

McArdle Memorial Laboratory, Medical School, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

Under anaerobic conditions, glycolyzing homogenates of normal and neoplastic rat tissues were found to be capable of metabolizing pyruvate at a rapid rate to yield compounds other than lactic acid. One of these compounds was demonstrated to be 1,2-propanediol-1-phosphate, and this constituted a large proportion of the product of the anaerobic pyruvate metabolism.

In Flexner-Jobling carcinoma homogenates, essentially all the pyruvate not reduced to lactic acid was converted to propanediol phosphate. In the homogenates of the normal tissues, the decarboxylation of pyruvate to carbon dioxide and a 2-carbon fragment was also an appreciable part of the metabolism.

Other phosphate esters of unknown structure have been isolated from homogenate reaction mixtures actively synthesizing propanediol phosphate. Two-dimensional paper chromatographic systems used in conjunction with the radioautograph technic have been described for the isolation of propanediol phosphate and the unknown phosphate esters.

The antibiotic chloramphenicol has striking effects upon anaerobic pyruvate metabolism. It appears that chloramphenicol acts in the tissue homogenates by shifting the balance of the electron transport system so that one electron acceptor is favored over another.

^* This work was supported in part by a grant from the American Cancer Society on the recommendation of the Committee on Growth of the National Research Council and in part by the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Fund.

The studies reported here were used as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Univ. of Wis., June, 1954.

Predoctoral Public Health Service Research Fellow (1952–54) of the National Cancer Institute. Present address: Universite Libre, Brussels, Belgium.

Received 7/27/54.