Bioenergetic coupling between membrane transport systems and biosynthetic pathways essential for cell cycle progression

Recently, it has been shown that there exists a point in the cell cycle (approximately 2 h prior to S phase entry) when (Na+/K+)ATPase pump activity is no longer needed for progression through the cycle. These data suggests that pump activity is critical in the biosynthetic processes which enables the cell to proceed through the G1 phase. A scheme is proposed which is currently being tested that (Na+/K+)ATPase pump activity serves as the driving force in the regulation of other membrane transport processes critical for cell proliferation. For example, in post-confluent quiescent C3H-10T1/2 fibroblasts, when [K+]/sub o/ is lowered just below the K/sub m/ of the pump for K+ there is a 10-fold increase in 3H-uridine uptake into both acid soluble and insoluble cell fractions. By modulation of the pump in this manner, glucose utilization is enhanced whereas inhibition of the pump by ouabain suppresses glucose utilization. In both methods of affecting the pump, 3H-leucine incorporation is inhibited. Electron acceptors that influence the redox state of the cell have been shown to both stimulate or inhibit cell cycle progression. Under conditions where [K+]/sub o/ is lowered, the nucleoside uptake responses observed were modified by electron acceptors depending on the ability to oxidize NAD(P)H directly or to interact with a cytochrome-like component, (e.g. phenazine methosulfate) reversed the enhanced uridine uptake and p-phenylene diamine further enhanced the uridine uptake response. These findings suggest that a plasma membrane redox system (presumably cyt-c like) is linked to nucleoside transport which is subject to (Na+/K+)ATPase activity