Use of Stable Isotopes to Follow Intracellular Water Dynamics in Living Cells
Abstract
Despite the importance of water to cell structure and function, intracellular water dynamics are poorly understood. A new method based on isotope ratio measurements has revealed that a substantial portion of the O and H atoms in the intracellular water of rapidly-dividing cultured cells is derived from metabolic activity, and not from environmental water. These findings have led to a dynamic model of intracellular water composition: (1) Intracellular water is composed of water that diffuses in from the extracellular environment and water that is created as a result of metabolic activity. (2) The relative amounts of environmental and metabolic water inside a cell are a function of the cell's metabolic activity. (3) The oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of cellular metabolites are a function of those of intracellular water, and therefore reflect the metabolic activity of the cell at the time of biosynthesis. Data from gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as cultured mammalian cells are consistent with the model.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1040967
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-63038
TRN: US201211%%297
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- Resource Type:
- Book
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, 5:968-976
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ATOMS; BACTERIA; BIOSYNTHESIS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE RATIO; METABOLITES; OXYGEN; STABLE ISOTOPES; WATER; stable isotope; intracellular water; metabolic water; metabolism
Citation Formats
Kreuzer, Helen W, and Hegg, Eric L. Use of Stable Isotopes to Follow Intracellular Water Dynamics in Living Cells. United States: N. p., 2012.
Web.
Kreuzer, Helen W, & Hegg, Eric L. Use of Stable Isotopes to Follow Intracellular Water Dynamics in Living Cells. United States.
Kreuzer, Helen W, and Hegg, Eric L. 2012.
"Use of Stable Isotopes to Follow Intracellular Water Dynamics in Living Cells". United States.
@article{osti_1040967,
title = {Use of Stable Isotopes to Follow Intracellular Water Dynamics in Living Cells},
author = {Kreuzer, Helen W and Hegg, Eric L},
abstractNote = {Despite the importance of water to cell structure and function, intracellular water dynamics are poorly understood. A new method based on isotope ratio measurements has revealed that a substantial portion of the O and H atoms in the intracellular water of rapidly-dividing cultured cells is derived from metabolic activity, and not from environmental water. These findings have led to a dynamic model of intracellular water composition: (1) Intracellular water is composed of water that diffuses in from the extracellular environment and water that is created as a result of metabolic activity. (2) The relative amounts of environmental and metabolic water inside a cell are a function of the cell's metabolic activity. (3) The oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of cellular metabolites are a function of those of intracellular water, and therefore reflect the metabolic activity of the cell at the time of biosynthesis. Data from gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as cultured mammalian cells are consistent with the model.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1040967},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Sat Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}