5'-Nucleotide phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase in tumor cells: evidence for existence of novel species in the cytosol.

Characteristics of 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (phosphodiesterase I, EC 3.1.4.1) and alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) activities in tumor cell lines of human and murine origin were examined. Of the 15 cell lines tested, 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in 13 cell lines and alkaline phosphatase activity in 10 cell lines were inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and activated by dithiothreitol (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive), and suggested to be SH-enzymes. In contrast, the two phosphohydrolases from normal tissues were inactivated by dithiothreitol, but not by N-ethylmaleimide (dithiothreitol-sensitive). There was only one tumor cell line in which both activities were dithiothreitol-sensitive. Human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 cells appear to possess both types of 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase, and the subcellular distribution of these enzymes in this cell line was investigated. Dithiothreitol-sensitive 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase of PLC/PRF/5 cells were localized in the plasma membrane as in normal tissues, but N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive phosphohydrolases were soluble cytosolic proteins. N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase activities from other cell lines were also recovered in the cytosol. Molecular masses of cytosolic N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive phosphohydrolases were apparently smaller than their membrane-bound dithiothreitol-sensitive counterparts, as judged from gel filtration. It was concluded that many tumor cell lines lack plasma membrane 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase, but express enzymes with similar activities in the cytosol, with properties clearly distinguishable from enzymes so far characterized.