Phosphate, Purines and Pyrimidines as Excretory Products of Tetrahymena*

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Abstract
SYNOPSIS. Tetrahymena pyriformis strain W, incubated for 3 hours in a salts‐PO4 medium, showed a net loss of phosphate from the cell. This loss of phosphate was accompanied by release of material having an absorption maximum at 250–260 nvi. The u.v.‐absorbing material contained hypoxanthine as well as a pyrimidine component.The release of hypoxanthine was consistent with an absence of detectable xanthine oxidase activity in Tetrahymena homogenates. Studies with homogenates indicated that hypoxanthine formation was paralleled by the formation of perchloric acid‐soluble material absorbing at 250 mμ, suggesting the degradation of nucleic acid.While glucose diminished the extent of phosphate and hypoxanthine loss from intact cells, the addition of iodoacetic acid (IAA) resulted in increased losses, as well as release of pentose into the medium. Since IAA did not influence the amount of acid‐soluble material formed by homogenates, it is suggested that the effects of glucose and IAA on the extent of excretion represent alterations in the ability of the cells to utilize nucleic acid degradation products in RXA synthesis.

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