Table 1

Polyamine synthesising enzyme activities and polyamine concentrations of parental (RW-4) and spermine synthase-deficient (SPMKO) cells. Cells were cultured in the absence of feeder fibroblasts and culture medium was changed 4 h before collecting the samples. The values represent means ± S.E.M. of triplicate cultures.

Enzyme ActivitiesPolyamine Pool1-a
ODCSAMDCSPDSSPMSPutrescineSpermidineSpermine
nmol/h mg of soluble protein nmol/mg of protein
RW-411.4  ± 1.10.37  ± 0.213.14  ± 1.53.88  ± 0.42.2  ± 0.421.2  ± 1.512.8  ± 1.6
SPMKO39.4  ± 3.41-165 1.40  ± 0.11-165 13.33  ± 1.2n.d.n.d.47.1  ± 7.51-165 n.d.

  • ↵1-a  Protein concentration was determined from sulphosalicylic-acid-precipitate after dissolving it into 0.1 M NaOH.

  • n.d., not detectable.

  • ↵1-165  p < 0.001.