This report presents the results of detailed examinations of cAMP metabolism in B1r, an S49 lymphoma protein kinase variant with very low phosphodiesterase activity. Among the conclusions reached are: As expected from the low phosphodiesterase activity previously reported, the cAMP turnover rate was relatively slow (t1/2 was 18-23 min at 37 degrees C). Basal cAMP levels ranged from about 1% to 5% of cellular ATP (i.e., 20-100 microM or 100-500 pmol/mg protein). These were many times higher than in most S49 wild type cells. The high basal cAMP levels made measurements of turnover in the absence of a hormone possible. The turnover constant for cAMP in unstimulated cells was 0.030 +/- 0.003 min-1. This was not significantly different than the value measured during epinephrine stimulation, which was 0.035 +/- 0.004 min-1. These turnover values were used to determine precise levels of adenylate cyclase activity throughout the time course of epinephrine stimulation. Desensitization was both rapid and profound, with the level of adenylate cyclase activity falling by 70% within the first 4 minutes of stimulation. This suggested that desensitization may be a very major factor in the attenuation of catecholamine action, at least in some cell types.