Sympathetic neurons grown in culture generate ATP by glycolysis: correlation between ATP content and [3H]norepinephrine uptake and storage.

The purpose of the present study was twofold: one, to establish the metabolic pathway responsible for the synthesis of ATP of chick embryonic sympathetic neurons maintained in culture and supplemented with nerve growth factor; two, to establish the relationship between ATP content and the uptake and storage of [3H]norepinephrine. We show that ATP content of 12-day-old cultured neurons was not significantly reduced by uncouplers (dinitrophenol and dicumarol) and other inhibitors (cyanide, azide, etc.) of oxidative metabolism, but was reduced by iodoacetate, meta-arsenite or glucose deprivation. Uptake and storage of [3H]norepinephrine in cultured neurons remained virtually unimpaired when ATP levels were reduced over 85% by iodoacetate. These observations suggest that the major route of ATP production is via anaerobic glycolysis, and only a small fraction of the total ATP store is used for uptake and storage of the sympathetic transmitter.