Pteridine modulation of lead inhibition of uroporphyrinogen synthesis in erythroid precursor cells.

The role of nutritional factors on heme synthesis and their influence on the development of anemia in the bone marrow during lead exposure is unclear. Previous reports suggested that pteridines could regulate the formation of uroporphyrinogen, a step midway along the heme synthetic pathway. Studies were undertaken to determine if pteridines could modulate lead inhibition of uroporphyrinogen synthesis in erythroid precursor cells. Pteroylpolyglutamates of various glutamate chain lengths were tested for the ability to protect against lead inhibition of uroporphyrinogen I (URO) synthase prepared from murine erythroleukemia cells (MELC). Pteroylpentaglutamate, the major endogenous polyglutamate form by chain length found to be present in MELC, afforded rapid and specific protection of URO synthase against lead inhibition. MELC are expected to be a useful in vitro model for studying the role of endogenous folates on uroporphyrinogen synthesis and heme formation in erythroid precursor cells following lead exposure.