Deoxyadenosine deamination and phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria.

1. Deoxyadenosine metabolism was measured in freshly isolated mitochondria; these organelles took up the deoxynucleoside and formed three detectable products: deoxyinosine, dAMP and dIMP. 2. Enzyme extracts prepared from sonicated mitochondria exhibited deoxyadenosine deaminase, deoxyadenosine kinase, dAMP deaminase and deoxyinosine kinase activities. 3. These data suggest that deoxyadenosine was initially altered in mitochondria by at least two metabolic reactions--deamination and phosphorylation. Deoxyinosine and dAMP were produced. 4. These two products were subsequently phosphorylated and deaminated, respectively to produce dIMP.