Phosphate metabolites in lymphoid, Friend erythroleukemia, and HeLa cells observed by high-resolution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance.

High-resolution phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were observed for cell lines from mammalian sources: lymphoid cells, Friend erythroleukemia cells, and HeLa cells. Some phosphate metabolites were identified and their concentrations were found to vary among the different cell lines. ATP/ADP ratios could be measured in the living cells. The phospholipid metabolites phosphorylcholine and phosphorylethanolamine and their glyceryl esters were present in relatively high concentrations in the cells, but their ratios varied considerably. Also, a high concentration of an unidentified diphosphodiester compound was observed in the Friend erythroleukemia and HeLa cells. No appreciable pH gradient across the cell membrance was observed in these three mammalian cell lines, in contrast to the large pH gradient detected in microorganisms.