J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 262, Issue 20, 9542-9546, 07, 1987
Influx of 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine into HL-60 human leukemia cells and erythrocytes
JD Stoeckler and SY Li
The influx of 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MeSAdo) into human HL-60
leukemia cells and erythrocytes was characterized in order to determine
whether it is facilitated by the nonspecific nucleoside carrier system or
by a separate transporter, as suggested by other reports. Initial
velocities were measured at room temperature by means of inhibitor-stop and
oil-stop assays. MeSAdo influx was strongly inhibited by Ado, dAdo, and
nucleoside transport inhibitors including nitrobenzylthioinosine and
dipyridamole. Ade was inhibitory only at concentrations in excess of 1 mM.
Loss of nucleoside transport capacity during differentiation of HL-60 cells
was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in MeSAdo influx rates. These
results indicate that MeSAdo influx was mediated by the nonspecific
nucleoside transport system. The kinetic data were consistent with a single
saturable carrier and yielded Km values of 74 and 184 microM and Vmax
values of 424 and 48 pmols/10(6) cells/min with HL-60 cells and
erythrocytes, respectively, after correction for a substantial passive
diffusion component, which accounted for over 50% of the influx of 1 mM
MeSAdo. The passive diffusion of MeSAdo in the presence of a transport
inhibitor was not rate-limiting for the salvage of 50 microM MeSAdo to
methionine when HL-60 cells were cultured in methionine-deficient medium.
The large contribution of passive diffusion to the influx of MeSAdo is
consistent with its unusually high octanol/water partition ratio (5.7-fold
greater than that of Ado).