RBCs from patients with hemolytic anemia due to pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency are characterized by a decreased total adenine and pyridine nucleotide content. Because phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) is a precursor of both adenine and pyridine nucleotides, we investigated the ability of intact PK-deficient RBCs to accumulate PRPP. The rate of PRPP formation in normal RBCs (n = 11) was 2.89 +/- 0.80 nmol/min.mL RBCs. In contrast, the rate of PRPP formation in PK-deficient RBCs (n = 4) was markedly impaired at 1.03 +/- 0.39 nmol/min.mL RBCs. Impaired PRPP formation in these cells was not due to the higher proportion of reticulocytes. To study the mechanism of impaired PRPP formation, PK deficiency was simulated by incubating normal RBCs with fluoride. In normal RBCs, fluoride inhibited PRPP formation, caused adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, prevented 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) depletion, and inhibited pentose phosphate shunt (PPS) activity. These results together with other data suggest that impaired PRPP formation is mediated by changes in ATP and DPG concentration, which lead to decreased PPS and perhaps decreased hexokinase and PRPP synthetase activities. Impaired PRPP formation may be a mechanism for the decreased adenine and pyridine nucleotide content in PK-deficient RBCs.