Inosine di- and triphosphate synthesis in erythrocytes and cell extracts.

The ability to synthesize inosinetriphosphate was demonstrated in blood cells as well as in a variety of tissue extracts in spite of the presence of ITP pyrophohydrolase. At the expense of having sub-optimal conditions, an assay system was selected that completely repressed the hydrolyzing enzyme, thus permitting the accumulation of ITP. In an attempt to define the biosynthetic pathway of ITP, and since guanylate kinase has been implicated in the formation of ITP, the rate of synthesis of ITP and GTP in cell extracts was compared. The comparison of the specific activities of the [14C]-labeled hypoxanthine and guanine moieties of the inosine and guanosine phosphates formed during incubation with [8-14C]-inosine and [8-14C]-guanosine respectively, revealed striking differences in the relative rates of isotope incorporation. Tentative mechanisms are proposed to explain these differences. The data obtained thus far does not discard the possibility that ITP may be formed by stepwise phosphorylation and (or) by direct pyrophosphorylation of IMP.