Polyamine metabolism in synchronously growing mammalian cells

Conference · Tue Mar 02 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7193122

Heby, O; Marton, L J; Gray, J W; Lindl, P A; Wilson, C B

The times of synthesis of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine in relation to the cell cycle have been examined in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells synchronized by selective detachment of mitotic cells. This technique produced cell populations with narrow age distributions. Following plating, the cells grew with high synchrony for more than one cell cycle in monolayer culture. At various times after plating, the distribution of cells among the G1, S and G2M phases of the cell cycle was calculated from DNA histograms obtained by flow microfluorometric analysis. At these same times L-ornithine decarboxylase assays and polyamine determinations showed that the synthesis of the polyamines was initiated in mid-G1 and that the polyamines started to accumulate towards the end of the G1 phase. Maximal rate of synthesis was obtained as the cells started to synthesize DNA and the highest polyamine content was obtained in the beginning of the S phase. Synthesis and accumulation of the polyamines decreased significantly during mid-S but towards the end of the S phase they increased again. The polyamine biosynthetic activity and the concentration of the polyamines reached a second maximum prior to cell division. The role of the polyamines in the traverse of the cell cycle and especially in the initiation or continuation of DNA synthesis is indicated also by the fact that fewer cells were found in the S phase when spermidine and spermine synthesis was inhibited by methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone).

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7193122
• Report Number(s): UCRL-77902; CONF-750881-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500* -- Metabolism
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CELL CULTURES
CELL CYCLE
CELL DIVISION
DNA
HAMSTERS
KINETICS
MAMMALS
METABOLISM
MITOSIS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PUTRESCINE
REACTION KINETICS
RODENTS
SPERMIDINE
SPERMINE
SYNCHRONOUS CULTURES
SYNTHESIS
VERTEBRATES