Content of thiamin phosphate esters in mammalian tissues--an extremely high concentration of thiamin triphosphate in pig skeletal muscle.

In relation to a high activity of thiamin diphosphate (TDP) kinase (Koyama, S. et al. (1985) Biochem. Int. 11, 371-380) in the skeletal muscle of pigs and guinea pigs, the content of thiamin phosphate esters in tissues of these animals has been determined by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. An extremely high concentration of thiamin triphosphate (TTP), 69.2% of the total thiamin (26.1 nmol/g wet weight), was detected in adult pig skeletal muscles. One extreme case contained TTP as 88.7% of the total thiamin (19.6 nmol/g wet weight). TTP in pig skeletal muscle was found solely in cytosol fraction. This is the first report showing an unusually high level of TTP in mammals and may give a clue as to the physiological functions of TTP.