scholarly journals Strengths and Weaknesses of Cell Synchronization Protocols Based on Inhibition of DNA Synthesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10759
Author(s):  
Anna Ligasová ◽  
Karel Koberna
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Cell Synchronization ◽  
Synchronous Cell ◽  
Inhibition Of Dna Synthesis ◽  
Selection Of

Synchronous cell populations are commonly used for the analysis of various aspects of cellular metabolism at specific stages of the cell cycle. Cell synchronization at a chosen cell cycle stage is most frequently achieved by inhibition of specific metabolic pathway(s). In this respect, various protocols have been developed to synchronize cells in particular cell cycle stages. In this review, we provide an overview of the protocols for cell synchronization of mammalian cells based on the inhibition of synthesis of DNA building blocks—deoxynucleotides and/or inhibition of DNA synthesis. The mechanism of action, examples of their use, and advantages and disadvantages are described with the aim of providing a guide for the selection of suitable protocol for different studied situations.

scholarly journals Primase p49 mRNA expression is serum stimulated but does not vary with the cell cycle.

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1940-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Y Tseng ◽  
C E Prussak ◽  
M T Almazan
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Proliferating Cells ◽  
Restriction Point ◽  
Serum Stimulation ◽  
G1 Cells

Expression of the small-subunit p49 mRNA of primase, the enzyme that synthesizes oligoribonucleotides for initiation of DNA replication, was examined in mouse cells stimulated to proliferate by serum and in growing cells. The level of p49 mRNA increased approximately 10-fold after serum stimulation and preceded synthesis of DNA and histone H3 mRNA by several hours. Expression of p49 mRNA was not sensitive to inhibition by low concentrations of cycloheximide, which suggested that the increase in mRNA occurred before the restriction point control for cell cycle progression described for mammalian cells and was not under its control. p49 mRNA levels were not coupled to DNA synthesis, as observed for the replication-dependent histone genes, since hydroxyurea or aphidicolin had no effect on p49 mRNA levels when added before or during S phase. These inhibitors did have an effect, however, on the stability of p49 mRNA and increased the half-life from 3.5 h to about 20 h, which suggested an interdependence of p49 mRNA degradation and DNA synthesis. When growing cells were examined after separation by centrifugal elutriation, little difference was detected for p49 mRNA levels in different phases of the cell cycle. This was also observed when elutriated G1 cells were allowed to continue growth and then were blocked in M phase with colcemid. Only a small decrease in p49 mRNA occurred, whereas H3 mRNA rapidly decreased, when cells entered G2/M. These results indicate that the level of primase p49 mRNA is not cell cycle regulated but is present constitutively in proliferating cells.

scholarly journals Nonperiodic Activity of the Human Anaphase-Promoting Complex–Cdh1 Ubiquitin Ligase Results in Continuous DNA Synthesis Uncoupled from Mitosis

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 7613-7623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Storgaard Sørensen ◽  
Claudia Lukas ◽  
Edgar R. Kramer ◽  
Jan-Michael Peters ◽  
Jiri Bartek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Cyclin B1 ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Anaphase Promoting Complex

ABSTRACT Ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated destruction of rate-limiting proteins is required for timely progression through the main cell cycle transitions. The anaphase-promoting complex (APC), periodically activated by the Cdh1 subunit, represents one of the major cellular ubiquitin ligases which, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae andDrosophila spp., triggers exit from mitosis and during G1 prevents unscheduled DNA replication. In this study we investigated the importance of periodic oscillation of the APC-Cdh1 activity for the cell cycle progression in human cells. We show that conditional interference with the APC-Cdh1 dissociation at the G1/S transition resulted in an inability to accumulate a surprisingly broad range of critical mitotic regulators including cyclin B1, cyclin A, Plk1, Pds1, mitosin (CENP-F), Aim1, and Cdc20. Unexpectedly, although constitutively assembled APC-Cdh1 also delayed G1/S transition and lowered the rate of DNA synthesis during S phase, some of the activities essential for DNA replication became markedly amplified, mainly due to a progressive increase of E2F-dependent cyclin E transcription and a rapid turnover of the p27Kip1 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Consequently, failure to inactivate APC-Cdh1 beyond the G1/S transition not only inhibited productive cell division but also supported slow but uninterrupted DNA replication, precluding S-phase exit and causing massive overreplication of the genome. Our data suggest that timely oscillation of the APC-Cdh1 ubiquitin ligase activity represents an essential step in coordinating DNA replication with cell division and that failure of mechanisms regulating association of APC with the Cdh1 activating subunit can undermine genomic stability in mammalian cells.

scholarly journals VITAMIN B12 AND THE MACROMOLECULAR COMPOSITION OF EUGLENA

1973 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Leban Johnston ◽  
Edgar F. Carell
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Euglena Gracilis ◽  
Cell Divisions ◽  
Synchronous Cell ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Macromolecular Composition

When vitamin B12 is added to B12-deficient cultures of Euglena gracilis, the cells undergo two relatively synchronous cell divisions within a shorter than usual period of time, apparently as a result of a transitory shortening of the cell cycle. The first cell division pulse, occurring 4.5 h after addition of B12, is preceded by the completion of DNA duplication, but appears to involve no net synthesis of RNA or protein. Before the second round of cell division at about 11 h, a significant amount of DNA synthesis is observed. This time it is accompanied by a minor increase in the RNA and protein content of the culture. The cellular contents of RNA and protein were observed to decrease steadily after the resumption of cell division in B12-depleted cultures receiving the vitamin. Ultimately all three macromolecules returned to their nondeficient, plateau stage levels; by this time, cell division had ceased.

Effect of inhibitors of DNA replication on early zebrafish embryos: evidence for coordinate activation of multiple intrinsic cell-cycle checkpoints at the mid-blastula transition

Zygote ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ikegami ◽  
Alma K. Rivera-Bennetts ◽  
Deborah L. Brooker ◽  
Thomas D. Yager
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Adaptive Response ◽  
Topoisomerase I ◽  
Topoisomerase Ii ◽  
Cell Cycle Checkpoints ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Replication Process ◽  
Inhibition Of Dna Synthesis

SummaryWe address the developmental activation, in the zebrafish embryo, of intrinsic cell-cycle checkpoints which monitor the DNA replication process and progression through the cell cycle. Eukaryotic DNA replication is probably carried out by a multiprotein complex containing numerous enzymes and accessory factors that act in concert to effect processive DNA synthesis (Applegren, N. et al. (1995) J. Cell. Biochem. 59, 91–107). We have exposed early zebrafish embryos to three chemical agents which are predicted to specifically inhibit the DNA polymerase α, topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II components of the DNA replication complex. We present four findings: (1) Before mid-blastula transition (MBT) an inhibition of DNA synthesis does not block cells from attempting to proceed through mitosis, implying the lack of functional checkpoints. (2) After MBT, the embryo displays two distinct modes of intrinsic checkpoint operation. One mode is a rapid and complete stop of cell division, and the other is an ‘adaptive’ response in which the cell cycle continues to operate, perhaps in a ‘repair’ mode, to generate daughter nuclei with few visible defects. (3) The embryo does not display a maximal capability for the ‘adaptive’ response until several hours after MBT, which is consistent with a slow rranscriptional control mechanism for checkpoint activation. (4) The slow activation of checkpoints at MBT provides a window of time during which inhibitors of DNA synthesis will induce cytogenetic lesions without killing the embryo. This could be useful in the design of a deletion-mutagenesis strategy.

scholarly journals Transient inhibition of DNA synthesis results in increased dihydrofolate reductase synthesis and subsequent increased DNA content per cell.

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 3373-3381 ◽  
Author(s):  
R N Johnston ◽  
J Feder ◽  
A B Hill ◽  
S W Sherwood ◽  
R T Schimke
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Gene Amplification ◽  
Dihydrofolate Reductase ◽  
Dna Content ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Phase Cell ◽  
Drug Inhibition ◽  
Specific Proteins ◽  
Inhibition Of Dna Synthesis

We examined the role that blockage of cells in the cell cycle may play in the stimulation of gene amplification and enhancement of drug resistance. We found that several different inhibitors of DNA synthesis, which were each able to block cells at the G1-S-phase boundary, induced an enhanced cycloheximide-sensitive synthesis of an early S-phase cell cycle-regulated enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase, and of other proteins as well. This response was specific, in that blockage at the G2 phase did not result in overproduction of the enzyme. When the cells were released from drug inhibition, DNA synthesis resumed, resulting in a cycloheximide-sensitive elevation in DNA content per cell. We speculate that the excess DNA synthesis (which could contribute to events detectable later as gene amplification) is a consequence of the accumulation of S-phase-specific proteins in the affected cells, which may then secondarily influence the pattern of DNA replication.

Control of thymidine kinase mRNA during the cell cycle

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 2925-2932
Author(s):  
D L Coppock ◽  
A B Pardee
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Thymidine Kinase ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Mrna Degradation ◽  
S Phase ◽  
3T3 Cells

To investigate the mechanism which controls the onset of DNA synthesis, we examined the regulation of thymidine kinase (TK) and its mRNA in the cell cycle. TK activity provides a useful marker for the onset of the S phase in mammalian cells. The present analysis of regulation of TK mRNA in BALB/c 3T3 cells showed that (i) the increase in TK activity depended on the availability of TK mRNA, (ii) the level of TK mRNA between G0 and S increased more than 20-fold, (iii) the rate of run-on TK transcription increased at most 2- to 4-fold between the G0 and S phases, (iv) the half-life of TK mRNA was greater than 8 to 12 h in the S and M phases and decreased as cells entered quiescence, (v) the TK mRNA increase was fully blocked by inhibition of protein synthesis by only 60%, (vi) this inhibition was completely effective for up to about 10 h following serum addition and progressively much less effective when the drugs were added later. These results suggest that the appearance of TK mRNA at the beginning of the S phase in serum-stimulated 3T3 cells is controlled not only by the rate of gene transcription but importantly also by the decreased rate of mRNA degradation. Similar mechanisms may be involved in regulation of the onset of DNA synthesis and the increase in TK mRNA since both are controlled in a manner consistent with a requirement for a labile protein.

A human nuclear protein with sequence homology to a family of early S phase proteins is required for entry into S phase and for cell division

1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.T. Todorov ◽  
R. Pepperkok ◽  
R.N. Philipova ◽  
S.E. Kearsey ◽  
W. Ansorge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Nuclear Protein ◽  
Amino Acid Level ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Significant Similarity

Molecular cloning and characterisation of a human nuclear protein designated BM28 is reported. On the amino acid level this 892 amino acid protein, migrating on SDS-gels as a 125 kDa polypeptide, shares areas of significant similarity with a recently defined family of early S phase proteins. The members of this family, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mcm2p, Mcm3p, Cdc46p/Mcm5p, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cdc21p and the mouse protein P1 are considered to be involved in the onset of DNA replication. The highest similarity was found with Mcm2p (42% identity over the whole length and higher than 75% over a conservative region of 215 amino acid residues), suggesting that BM28 could represent the human homologue of the S. cerevisiae MCM2. Using antibodies raised against the recombinant BM28 the corresponding antigen was found to be localised in the nuclei of various mammalian cells. Microinjection of anti-BM28 antibody into synchronised mouse NIH3T3 or human HeLa cells presents evidence for the involvement of the protein in cell cycle progression. When injected in G1 phase the anti-BM28 antibody inhibits the onset of subsequent DNA synthesis as tested by the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine. Microinjection during the S phase had no effect on DNA synthesis, but inhibits cell division. The data suggest that the nuclear protein BM28 is required for two events of the cell cycle, for the onset of DNA replication and for cell division.

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