Alterations in glucose metabolism in chick-embryo cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus: intracellular levels of glycolytic intermediates.

Chick-embryo cells, transformed with Rous sarcoma virus, show enhanced rates of sugar transport and glycolysis. Determination of intracellular concentrations of glycolytic intermediates suggests that the enhanced glycolytic flux is due to increased activities of hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1), phosphofructokinase, (ATP:D-fructose-1-phosphate 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.56), and pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40), and not directly to the increased glucose transport. This conclusion is supported by the finding that the intracellular concentration of free glucose is decreased, rather than increased, in the transformed cells. The present observations suggest that the increased glycolytic flux is related to an increased rate of phosphorylation of glucose, and that hexokinase in the transformed cells is at least partly released from its normal control mechanism involving feedback inhibition by glucose-6-P.