Ecto-nucleotide triphosphatase activity of human lymphocytes: studies of normal and CLL lymphocytes.

We have studied the apparent kinetic parameters of the ecto-nucleotide triphosphatase from CLL B lymphocytes and compared them to blood and tonsillar B and T cells. The Vmax of the ecto-ATPase activity in CLL B lymphocytes, was 65 +/- 10 fmol Pi/cell per 30 min compared to 37 +/- 2.1 in blood B lymphocytes, and 8.5 +/- 1.7 in blood T lymphocytes. The ATPase of membranes prepared from CLL, tonsillar B and T, and blood T lymphocytes had a relationship among the cell types similar to that seen in intact cells. However, no difference in the km for ATP, .17 mM, or the km for magnesium, .15 mM was found in the ecto-ATPase of CLL lymphocytes as compared to blood or tonsillar B cells. The ectoenzyme of CLL cells hydrolyzed GTP, ITP, CTP, and UTP as well as ATP. Further, ATP added to an enzyme assay containing an alternative nucleotide did not result in increased phosphate release. Nucleotide acceptance of blood B and T lymphocytes was very similar to that of CLL B cells. ATP inhibited phosphate release when present in excess of magnesium in both CLL and blood B lymphocytes. These data indicate that there is greater ectonucleotide triphosphatase activity in tonsillar and blood B lymphocytes, including CLL, as compared either to blood or tonsillar T lymphocytes. However, CLL cells showed no qualitative difference from blood or tonsillar B cells in ectonucleotidase activity. Thus, the higher activity in CLL cells is "B cell-like" and might reflect, also, their maturation stage or monoclonal origin.