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FOUR FIGURESUranium a in very low concentrations inhibits the metabolism of glucose by yeast cells (Booy, '40; and Barron, Muntz and Gasvoda, '48). Inasmuch as uranium influences metabolism by forming a complex with certain specific groups in the surface of the cell (Rothstein and Larrabee, '48; and Rothstein, Frenkel and Larrabee, '48), this element can serve as a useful tool in studying the relationship of these cell-surface groups to metabolism.The metabolic function of the surface groups has not been unequivocally estab1,ished. Barron et al. ( '48) suggest that uranium complexes with proteins of the cell membrane, thereby reducing the permeability of the cells t o sugars. 0 1 1 the other hand, Rothstein, Meier and Hurwitz ('51) believe that glucose is actively transported into the cell by a mechanism analagous to sugar resorption in the gut and kidney tubule, and that uranium complexes with groups which are an 'This paper is based on work performed under contract with the United States Atomic Energy Commission a t the University of Rochester Atomic Energy Project, Rochester, IT. Y .Uranium i n this paper refers to hexavalent uranium as typified by uranyl nitrate. This salt in aqueous solution is completely dissociated into uranyl ion (UO,") and nitrate ion. 245

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