Metabolism of pyruvate in tumor homogenates.

Abstract

The anaerobic glycolysis system with homogenates of Flexner-Jobling carcinoma was shown to metabolize pyruvate to reduced products other than lactate to an extent almost comparable in magnitude to the conversion to lactate. The reactions were studied with pyruvate-1-C14 and pyruvate-2-C14. The metabolism of pyruvate to alanine, serine, to C4, C2, and C1 was shown to be negligible in this system. A new reaction was found in which the pyruvate was converted to propanediol phosphate, with acetol phosphate the probable intermediate. The significance of these findings to the metabolism of normal and neoplastic tissues is being investigated.