The apparent stimulation of proteolysis by adenosine triphosphate in tissue homogenates

Reports that ATP promotes proteolysis in tissue homogenates were reinvestigated. Although ATP increased production of material reacting with ninhydrin or Folin-phenol reagent, ATP did not stimulate protein degradation in such extracts. AMP and adenosine acted similarly to ATP. Deamination of the added nucleotides to produce ammonia caused the increase in ninhydrin-positive material.