Altered expression of ribokinase activity in Novikoff hepatoma variants.

Ribokinase, the first enzyme in ribose catabolism, is altered in its expression in ribose-utilizing Novikoff hepatoma variants. 90% of the variants selected for their ability to use D-ribose as a sole carbon source show a change in ribokinase activity. After non-selective growth, phenotypically unstable variants lose their altered expression and regain a parental form of expression of this enzyme. In the variants, ribokinase expression in non-inducible by the carbon source and is unaffected by the growth phase of the cells. However, ribokinase expression in both parental cells and variants is cell cycle-dependent. Parental Novikoff hepatoma cells have three peaks of ribokinase activity during the S, G2 and M phases. Variants are described which have high basal levels of ribokinase and only a single peak of enzymatic activity during the S phase. In addition to changes in the level of ribokinase, changes in the subcellular localization of the enzyme have been found in some variants. While the change in the level of ribokinase seems to be a property of the variant isolated, the change in subcellular location of ribokinase can be readily achieved by culture conditions.