Measurement of the Rates of Synthesis and Degradation of Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase in Human Lymphoblasts

The steady state amount of cellular proteins is determined by the net sum of both their rates of synthesis and degradation. Individual proteins in mammalian cells each have a characteristic rate of degradation as well as synthesis. In recent years, protein catabolism has gained increased recognition as a fundamental intracellular process: 1) during nutritional starvation, 2) in the regulation of enzyme levels, and 3) in the elimination of abnormal proteins.1,2,3