D-Xylose and xylitol: previously unrecognized sole carbon and energy sources for chick and mammalian cells

Nectar xylose metabolism in a rodent pollinator (Aethomys namaquensis): defining the role of gastrointestinal microflora using 14C-labeled xylose

The Namaqua rock mouse Aethomys namaquensis, a rodent pollinator of certain geoflorous Protea species, consumes nectar containing xylose. Xylose is not known to be efficiently utilized by mammals. However, it is fermented by certain bacteria, yeasts, and fungi, particularly gastrointestinal bacteria. The end products of microbial fermentation are utilized by the host in oxidative metabolism. Here we investigate the degree to which intestinal bacteria of A. namaquensis contribute to xylose metabolism. Mice were caught during Protea humiflora flowering and nonflowering seasons and given an oral dose of 14C-labeled xylose. Exhaled CO2 and excreted urine and feces were continuously collected for 30 h thereafter, and label recovery was determined. Each mouse was then treated with antibiotics to reduce gut microflora, and the experiment was repeated. With their natural gut flora population intact, mice caught during the flowering season exhaled significantly more 14CO2 than did mice caught during the nonflowering season. Also, during both seasons, mice exhaled significantly more 14CO2 before antibiotic treatment than after. Antibiotic treatment caused a significant increase in the proportion of 14C-labeled xylose that was excreted in the urine. The mouse diet likely influences the composition of the gastrointestinal community. Aethomys namaquensis relies on its gut microflora to ferment xylose, thereby converting it into end products that are used by the mice for metabolism.

Evaluation of pentitol metabolism in mammalian tissues provides new insight into disorders of human sugar metabolism

To more completely elucidate the pathways of sugar metabolism in human, we have evaluated the formation and degradation of pentitols in human fibroblasts and erythrocytes. Cultured human fibroblasts were incubated with d-arabinose, d-ribose, d-ribulose, and d-xylulose. Formation of arabitol and ribitol was analyzed by gas chromatography of the incubation medium and cell homogenate. We found that the pentoses d-arabinose and d-ribose could cross cell membranes, which indicate possible pentitol formation from extracellular pentoses. Fibroblasts formed 17+/-4 nmol arabitol/4 days/mg protein from d-arabinose and ribitol production rates of 70+/-15 nmol/4 days/mg protein were found after d-ribose incubation. Following d-ribulose incubation 13 nmol ribitol/4 days/mg protein was found. Human cultured fibroblasts were also incubated with d-arabitol, ribitol, and xylitol. Analyzing the incubation medium and cell homogenate revealed an absence of pentose formation. However, export of the pentitols arabitol and ribitol across the cell membrane was demonstrated, indicating that pentitols can be cleared from the body without metabolic conversion. Finally, human erythrocytes were incubated with d-/l-arabitol, ribitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. Activities of potential pentitol dehydrogenases were evaluated by a fluorometric assay. No evidence for ribitol and arabitol degradation was observed in human erythrocytes, as compared to polyol dehydrogenase activities ranging from 1.3 to 6.1 pmol NADH/min/microl erythrocytes observed using sorbitol and xylitol. Our results indicate that ribitol and arabitol are metabolic end products in humans.

Effect of intraocular irrigating solutions on the viability of cultured retinal vascular endothelial cells

PURPOSE

To compare the abilities of balanced salt solution, BSS Plus and Hartmann's lactated Ringer's (HLR) solution to maintain the viability of retinal vascular endothelial cells (RVEC) in vitro.

METHODS

Cultured retinal vascular endothelial cells were suspended in each irrigating solution for four hours. Viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion at 30 minute intervals. Regression analysis was used to determine the rate of viability loss. Additional studies were performed to determine the effectiveness of lactate in maintaining cell viability.

RESULTS

Retinal vascular endothelial cells lost viability at a greater rate (p < 0.001) in BSS (8.7%/hr) compared with BSS Plus (3.3%/hr). Cells in Hartmann's lactated Ringer's lost viability at a significantly lower rate (4.4%/hr) than retinal vascular endothelial cells in lactate-free Hartmann's lactated Ringer's solution (8.4%/hr). Lactate was as effective as glucose in preserving RVEC viability. By comparison, the viability of corneal endothelial cells was not effectively maintained by lactate. For these cells, BSS Plus was clearly superior to Hartmann's lactated Ringer's solution in maintaining viability.

CONCLUSIONS

BSS Plus and Hartmann's lactated Ringer's solution are both superior to balanced salt solution in maintaining retinal vascular endothelial cell viability. For retinal vascular endothelial cells, Hartmann's lactated Ringer's solution preserves cell viability as well as BSS Plus, since the retinal vascular endothelial cells, unlike corneal endothelial cells, can apparently utilize lactate as an energy source.

The effect of alternative carbohydrates on the growth and antibody production of a murine hybridoma

A murine hybridoma (CC9C10) was adapted to grow in media containing alternative carbohydrates to glucose. Cell yields relative to the glucose-based culture decreased in order of the following supplements: glucose = maltose > galactose > fructose = sorbitol = xylitol, although significant yields (> 50% of glucose control) were observed in all cultures. In the absence of glucose, glutamine consumption rates were enhanced significantly. Antibody production was directly related to the viable cell concentration in each culture and was independent of the phase of culture. A high specific antibody productivity (qMab) was observed in the cultures containing the polyols, sorbitol, or xylitol, even though the cell yields and growth rates were lower than the glucose-based control. The measured qMab in the xylitol culture was 5.6 x that of the glucose culture and the volumetric yield of MAb was 29% higher.

Comparative use of fructose and glucose in human liver and fibroblastic cell cultures

The effect of fructose as a substitute for glucose in cell culture media was investigated in human skin fibroblast and liver cell cultures. Cells were grown for between 2 and 10 days in identical flasks in four different media, containing 5.5 mmol X 1-1 and 27.5 mmol X 1-1 glucose and fructose, respectively. In the presence of fructose, cell growth was stimulated, but less in liver cells than fibroblasts. At Day 6, increases were observed in [3H]thymidine incorporation, protein levels, and amino acid consumption, and a reduction was noted in ATP levels. In media containing 5.5 mmol X 1-1 glucose or fructose, consumption of fructose was four times lower than that of glucose at Day 3 and did not rise until Day 6. In fructose media, the lactate production was very low (four to five times less than that of glucose) and the pH values were always higher. Some findings were different for the fibroblasts and liver cells, owing to the specific characteristics of these two cell types in culture; this applied especially to the effects of glucose and fructose concentrations of 27.5 mmol X 1-1. Several possible explanations for the stimulation of cell growth in fructose medium were discussed.

Purines as 'hyper-repressors' of glucose transport. A role for phosphoribosyl diphosphate

Under selected conditions the rate of glucose transport and the intracellular phosphoribosyl diphosphate (PPRibP) concentrations of chick-embryo fibroblasts are inversely correlated. This relationship holds when cells are incubated with mannose, fructose, xylose or various concentrations of glucose. The metabolic inhibitors 2,4-dinitrophenol, rotenone and Methylene Blue increased glucose transport and decreased PPRibP. The addition of any pyrimidine or purine base or ribonucleoside dramatically depleted PPRibP pools, regardless of the carbon source. Addition of guanine (10 microM) or hypoxanthine (100 microM) decreased transport in glucose-grown chick cells to barely detectable values, but did not affect increases observed in cells depressed by substitution of xylose for glucose. Guanosine, inosine and the purine analogues 6-thioguanine, 6-thioguanosine, 8-azaguanine and 6-methylmercaptopurine riboside sharply decreased transport in glucose-grown cells and blocked the increase in transport resulting from the replacement of glucose by fructose or xylose in the culture medium.

Altered expression of ribokinase activity in Novikoff hepatoma variants

Ribokinase, the first enzyme in ribose catabolism, is altered in its expression in ribose-utilizing Novikoff hepatoma variants. 90% of the variants selected for their ability to use D-ribose as a sole carbon source show a change in ribokinase activity. After non-selective growth, phenotypically unstable variants lose their altered expression and regain a parental form of expression of this enzyme. In the variants, ribokinase expression in non-inducible by the carbon source and is unaffected by the growth phase of the cells. However, ribokinase expression in both parental cells and variants is cell cycle-dependent. Parental Novikoff hepatoma cells have three peaks of ribokinase activity during the S, G2 and M phases. Variants are described which have high basal levels of ribokinase and only a single peak of enzymatic activity during the S phase. In addition to changes in the level of ribokinase, changes in the subcellular localization of the enzyme have been found in some variants. While the change in the level of ribokinase seems to be a property of the variant isolated, the change in subcellular location of ribokinase can be readily achieved by culture conditions.

6-deoxy-D-glucose and D-xylose: analogs for the study of D-glucose transport by mouse 3T3 cells

6-Deoxy-D-glucose and D-xylose, structural homomorphs of D-glucose that lack a 6-hydroxyl group or a 6-hydroxymethyl group, respectively, are transported efficiently by mouse 3T3 cells, with good affinity and high specificity for the D-glucose transport system. Since these analogs lack the 6-hydroxyl group, which is the site of phosphorylation of glucose by hexokinase, they are taken up and are recoverable from cells in an unchanged state. Thus, 6-deoxy-D-glucose and D-xylose offer advantages as transport substrates over 2-deoxy-D-glucose, which is phosphorylated by intercellular hexokinases, and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose, which shows a lower specificity for the D-glucose transport system.

Multiple genetic changes determine ribose utilization by Novikoff hepatoma cell variants

In variants of the Novikoff hepatoma cell line, the ability to use D-ribose as a carbon source appeared to be due to changes in the expression of ribokinase. Examination of ribokinase activity was prompted by the finding that uptake of radiolabeled ribose was linear for 30 min in six variants but became saturated within 2 min in nine other variants. The linear uptake of ribose was due to a high rate of phosphorylation by ribokinase. Variants which showed linear uptake kinetics had ribokinase levels of 6.8 +/- 1.7 nm/min per mg protein as compared to the parental levels of 0.90 +/- 0.25 nm/min per mg protein. The nine variants which showed saturable uptake kinetics had low parenteal levels of ribokinase. However, these variants showed a change in the subcellular location of that activity. The enzyme was predominantly membrane-associated in both parental cells and high ribokinase variants. In contrast, the low ribokinase variants had a cytoplasmic form of the enzyme. A more general membrane change probably occurred in these variants, since they showed an increased sensitivity to the unrelated membrane reactive compounds, phytohemagglutinin and ouabain.

Pentose-utilizing variants of Novikoff hepatoma cells: phenotypic characterization

Forty-three independent variants of the Novikoff hepatoma cell line have been isolated for their ability to use D-xylose, D-ribose, and/or L-arabinose as a sole carbon and energy source. The variants exhibited marked morphological changes and a loss or decrease of cloning efficiency in soft agar. The xylose and arabinose variants showed similar phenotypes while the ribose variants were a phenotypically heterogenous group. Two major classes of variants were found with regard to their specificity for pentoses: one class could grow on ribose, xylose, or arabinose, while the second class grew only on ribose. The lack of specificity for pentose use was correlated with the ability to use pentitols for growth. The frequency of pentose-utilizing clones was 5 X 10(-2) to 10(-3), and nitrosoguanidine treatment increased this frequency tenfold. Fluctuation analyses showed the appearance of pentose-utilizing variants to be a random event. Of the variants examined, 84% expressed a stable pentose phenotype, and of those, 6% were cold sensitive and 8% were temperature sensitive for pentose utilization. In addition to the suggested mutational basis for the pentose phenotype, two variants showed a large increase in chromosome number from 73 +/- 3 to 132 +/- 10.