Subcellular distribution of hexokinase in leukemic and stimulated lymphoid cells of mice.

The oxygen consumption, subcellular distribution of hexokinase were studied in normal and leukemic spleen cells of AKR mice. High mitochondrial-bound hexokinase activity and O2-consumption were detected in fetal state, in leukemic or BPV-induced lymphoproliferative conditions and after spermine incubation of normal spleen cells. After ConA-treatment, however, all of the hexokinase was found in cytoplasmic fraction and O2-uptake was strongly decreased. Studies on respiration of mitochondria isolated from normal and leukemic cells supported the role of mitochondrial-bound hexokinase in elevated O2-consumption of leukemic cells.