Uptake and excretion of polyamines from baby hamster kidney cells (BHK-21/C13). The effect of serum on confluent cell cultures.

In confluent cultures of BHK-21/C13 cells there was little uptake of exogenous polyamines and only a low level of polyamine biosynthesis. These cultures continuously excreted polyamines into the extracellular medium. Spermidine, in both the free and bound form, was the predominant excretion product, whereas the major intracellular polyamine was spermine implying that excretion of polyamines was specific. Reinitiation of growth by the addition of fresh serum immediately increased the uptake of exogenous putrescine, increased the biosynthesis of polyamines and decreased the excretion of polyamines. Thus, polyamine transport into and out of the cell appears to be regulated by the growth status of that cell.