title: Active transport and metabolic characteristics of polyamines in the rat lens.
abstract: Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were transported into the rat lens against a concentration gradient. This process appeared to be energy-dependent and involved a carrier system different from those for amino acids. Competition experiments suggested that the three polyamines were transported by the same system or very similar systems. Incorporated spermine was converted to spermidine and putrescine, and spermidine was converted to putrescine. In contrast, the conversion of putrescine to spermidine and spermine, or the conversion of spermidine to spermine was not observed. Furthermore, ornithine was not utilized for the synthesis of putrescine. These metabolic characteristics of the polyamines in the rat lens were correlated with the extremely low activities of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. Other enzymes of polyamine metabolisms, however, were relatively active. In conclusion, the lens has a very low ability for the de novo synthesis of polyamines. The polyamines in the lens are considered to be supplied form the surrounding intraocular fluid by an active transport system specific for polyamines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hibasami
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D007700:Kinetics; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000378:metabolism; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013095:Spermidine / Q000378:metabolism; D011436:Spermidine Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D013096:Spermine / Q000378:metabolism; D013097:Spermine Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D000097667:Polyamine Oxidase; D000099228:Diamine N-Acetyltransferase
chemical_list: D000123:Acetyltransferases; D012437:Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D011073:Polyamines; D011700:Putrescine; D013095:Spermidine; D011436:Spermidine Synthase; D013096:Spermine; D013097:Spermine Synthase; D000097667:Polyamine Oxidase; D000099228:Diamine N-Acetyltransferase