The association of a genetic deficiency of adenosine deaminase (ADA) with immunodeficiency disease has emphasized the importance of deoxyadenosine and adenosine metabolism for human lymphocyte function. However, information concerning the endogenous production and metabolism of deoxyadenosine and adenosine in normally growing human T and B lymphoblasts is lacking. In the present experiments, we used a diverse series of cell lines deficient in individual enzymes of purine metabolism to quantitate the de novo formation of deoxyadenosine and adenosine in human T lymphoblasts (CEM), B lymphoblasts (WI-L2), and histiocytic lymphoma cells (DHL-9). The B lymphoblasts and histiocytic lymphoma cells generated deoxyadenosine at a rate of 60 to 80 pmol/hr/10(7) cells. This value was several fold greater than the rate of production of deoxyadenosine by T cells (6 to 7 pmol/hr/10(7) cells). Deoxyadenosine synthesis required ribonucleotide reductase activity, and was maximal during the S-phase of the cell cycle. The T and B lymphoblasts formed relatively similar amounts of adenosine (870 to 1620 pmol/hr/10(7) cells) throughout the cell cycle. In ADA-deficient cells, a major fraction of the deoxyadenosine synthesized de novo was excreted into the extracellular space. These results establish that the endogenous synthesis and metabolism of deoxyadenosine (but not adenosine) is distinctly different in T and B lymphoblasts.