[Metabolic cooperation in cocultures of fibroblasts from patients with various abnormalities of galactose metabolism]

Abstract

14C galactose incorporation into the TCA-precipitable material of cultures of fibroblasts deficient in galactokinase (GALK-) was nil. In cultures of fibroblasts deficient in uridyltransferase (GALT-), it was 30 to 75% of control incorporation. In cocultures of GALK and GALT-deficient fibroblasts, 14C incorporation was restored to near-normal levels. This restoration produced in the presence of close cellular contacts was not increased by polyethyleneglycol somatic hybridization. Our results indicate that metabolic cooperation occurred involving the transfer of galactose 1-phosphate from the GALT-deficient to the GALK-deficient cells via intercellular connections.