Does adenine incorporation into nucleic acids measure total microbial production:: a response to comments by Fuhrman et al
The uptake and incorporation of (/sup 3/H)adenine as a measure of total microbial (bacteria and unicellular algae) nucleic acid synthesis depends on the validity of several assumptions. A unique characteristic of the (/sup 3/H)adenine method is the ability to measure the specific radioactivity (nCi pmol/sup -1/) of the immediate precursor pool of the adenine incorporated into nucleic acids. This measurement permits correction for isotope dilution when the added radiotracer mixes with exogenous pools of structurally related compounds before uptake and with endogenous pools after transport into the cells. The immediate precursors to (/sup 3/H)adenine incorporation into cellular RNA and DNA are ATP and dATP. Since the intracellular dATP pool is in isotopic equilibrium with the ATP pool, one can determine the specific radioactivity of both precursor pools by measuring that of the intracellular ATP pool. If the specific activity of the precursor pool is not measured, then it is impossible to extrapolate incorporation measurements to estimates of nucleic acid synthesis with any degree of accuracy.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu
- OSTI ID:
- 6479287
- Journal Information:
- Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Journal Name: Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States) Vol. 31:6; ISSN LIOCA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Purine nucleotide synthesis from exogenous adenine and guanine in rodent small intestine
Measurements of half-life of rat cardiac myosin heavy chain with Leucyl-tRNA used as precursor pool. [/sup 3/H tracer technique]
Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADENINES
AMINES
ANTIMETABOLITES
AROMATICS
AZAARENES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOSYNTHESIS
CHEMISTRY
DRUGS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PURINES
SYNTHESIS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE