Inhibition of blastogenesis by native and polyethylene glycol-modified asparaginases from Escherichia coli and Vibrio succinogenes.

The in vitro blastogenic response of rat splenocytes to concanavalin A stimulation is inhibited by inclusion of asparaginase in the culture medium. The glutaminase-free asparaginase from Vibrio succinogenes is as potent an inhibitor as the Escherichia coli enzyme which has 2% glutaminase activity. The polyethylene glycol-modified forms of both enzymes are also inhibitory. We suggest that previously proposed explanations for the ability of asparaginases to inhibit blastogenesis are not likely to be correct and propose that asparaginase interacts with a mitogenic factor.