DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECT OF IONIZING-RADIATION ON NA+-DEPENDENT AMINO-ACID TRANSPORT IN HUMAN-T (MOLT-4) AND HUMAN-B (RPMI 1788) LYMPHOID-CELLS

The authors have investigated the effects of ionizing radiation (0.10 to 10 krad) on the Na+-dependent transport of 2-aminoisobutyric acid and the involvement of a plasma membrane sulfhydryl-protein component which modulates this transport system in a human T (Molt-4) and a B (RPMI 1788) lymphoid cell line. The radiosensitivity of this transport system and a putative sulfhydryl membrane regulatory component correlated with the known radiosensitivity of these two cell lines, i.e., DNA synthesis and survival, were much more sensitive to the effects of γ irradiation in Bolt-4 than in RPMI 1788 cells. Ionizing radiation affected Na+-dependent amino acid transport in Molt-4 cells by a process which affects the maximal rate of uptake of the amino acid (i.e., V(max)) into the cell. No change in Na+-independent amino acid transport was observed when Molt-4 cells were subjected to radiation levels as high as 5 krad. These data coupled with the observation from other laboratories have led the authors to hypothesize that the radiation-induced interphase death of Molt-4 cells may be due to two factors: (i) damage to a plasma membrane sulfhydryl-protein component associated with the modulation of Na+-dependent transport of amino acids which are involved in DNA synthesis and (ii) damage to nuclear processes, which is enhanced when Na+-dependent amino acid transport is inhibited.