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Title: Folate-dependent enzymes in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells: impaired mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase activity in two additional glycine-auxotroph complementation classes

Journal Article · · Arch. Biochem. Biophys.; (United States)

Two glycine-requiring Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) auxotrophs (GLYB and AUXB2) representative of the Gly/sup -/ mutant classes B and C are shown to have defects in folate metabolism. These defects result in 10-fold lower rates of whole cell L-(U-/sup 14/C)serine-to-(/sup 14/C)glycine conversion relative to the parental CHO lines (2 vs 20 nmol/h/10/sup 6/ cells). This restriction in serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) activity is localized in the mitochondria. Intact mitochondria from GLYB and AUXB2 convert labeled serine to glycine at 1-4% the rate and with only 1-3% of the total capacity of parental CHO mitochondria. Yet, GLYB and AUXB2 contain parental cell amounts of cytosolic and mitochondrial SHMT, the latter displaying normal substrate K/sub m/ values. The whole cell and mitochondrial impairments in glycine formation are corrected in GLYB (but not AUXB2) by a prior growth with 100 ..mu..M dl-folinate. They are also partially restored in spontaneous or chemically induced Gly/sup +/ revertants of GLYB and AUXB2. Subcellular fractionation experiments suggest that a low content (one-fifth parental) of mitochondrial folylpolyglutamates contributes to the auxotrophy of GLYB. These studies demonstrate that mitochondrial SHMT is potentially functional in the Gly/sup -/ mutant classes B (GLYB) and C (AUXB2). The impaired SHMT activity in vivo and in isolated mitochondria may result from a deficiency in mitochondrial recycling of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate back to tetrahydrofolate.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Berkeley
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5217748
Journal Information:
Arch. Biochem. Biophys.; (United States), Vol. 217:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English