Purine metabolism in rat skeletal muscle.

1. Rat skeletal muscle can synthesize purine nucleotides de novo. 2. Nucleotide synthesis de novo was inhibited by approximately 90% in the presence of 1 mM azaserine. 3. Purine nucleotides can be synthesized via "salvage" pathways from purine bases and nucleosides. Under the conditions employed incorporation rates were adenosine adenine inosine/hypoxanthine guanosine guanine. 4. Xanthine was not utilized for nucleotide synthesis.