Carrier Mediated Uptake of Deoxyguanosine in Rat Liver Mitochondria

Abstract

It has been known for a number of years that mitochondria contain enzymes important for the synthesis of DNA. A distinct mitochondrial deoxyguanosine kinase was first documented by Gower et al. (1) in calf thymus. Mitochondrial deoxycytidine/deoxythymidine kinase (2) was demonstrated in blast cells of leukemia patients and HeLa mitochondria contain a deoxythymidine kinase (3). Mouse, human and chick mitochondria possess a deoxypyrimidine kinase (3). A recent report by Fabianowska-Majewska and Greger (4) shows that rat liver mitochondria contain deoxythymidine, deoxcytidine, deoxyadenosine and deoxyguanosine kinase activities, however few details regarding these activities were reported.