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Uridine Kinase Activities in Normal and Neoplastic Lymphoid Cells¹

Departments of Physiological Chemistry [N. G., D. E. S., T. E. W.] and Pathology [P. E. H.], Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio 43210

Both adult (I) and embryonic (II) forms of uridine kinase have been identified in the transplantable EL-4 leukemia of C57BL/6 mice and in the P815Y mastocytoma of DBA/2 mice. Only Species I is found in primary tumor cells of lymphoid origin (virus-induced feline lymphosarcoma, human acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and in normal calf thymocytes and porcine peripheral blood lymphocytes; Species I was induced 4-fold upon stimulation of the normal blood lymphocytes with phytohemagglutinin. The level of uridine kinase activity in the feline lymphosarcoma of thymus-dependent lymphocyte origin and childhood lymphocytic leukemia of possible thymus-dependent lymphocyte or null-cell origin was similar to the induced level in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated normal lymphocytes, i.e., thymus-dependent lymphocytes. In contrast lymphocytes of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia of thymus-independent lymphocyte origin had a level of uridine kinase activity comparable to that of the unstimulated normal lymphocytes or thymocytes. The uridine kinase activity in the EL-4 tumor cells was repressed by acute treatment of the mice with 5-azacytidine.

¹ Supported by USPHS Research Grant CA-13718 from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of General Medical Sciences Training Grant in Clinical Chemistry GMO-1805.

² Present address: Department of Biological Chemistry, Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. 19102.

³ Present address: Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.

⁴ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 7/12/76. Accepted 12/29/76.