Agmatine uptake by cultured hamster kidney cells

Agmatine, the product of arginine decarboxylation, has been recently found in a wide variety of animal tissues. In spite of the emergent interest on a gmatine in animals, the mechanism of agmatine uptake in mammalian cells has been scarcely studied. An analysis of radiolabeled agmatine uptake was car ried out by using a classical, kinetic approach with BHK-21 hamster kidney cells in culture. A high affinity, temperature- and energy-dependent agmati ne transport system in BHK-21 kidney cells is here kinetically characterize d which seems to be a "general" transporter shared by di- and triamines and different to a highly specific carrier for the tetraamine spermine. (C) 20 01 Academic Press.