Some properties of chromatin synthesized by mouse-L-cells temperature-sensitive in DNA replication

Cell cycle arrest of heat-inactivated ts 2 BALB/c-3T3 mouse fibroblasts, temperature-sensitive for DNA synthesis

The ts 2 derivative of BALB/c-3T3 mouse fibroblasts is a cell division cycle (cdc) mutant. Upon expression of the heat-sensitive defect, ts 2 cells arrest late in G1 at, or very near the G1/S traverse. This conclusion derives from three kinds of experiment. In the first the cells were brought to different stages of the cell cycle by physiological manipulation, or with specific anti-metabolites. They were then released from the resulting blocks, and their subsequent cell-cycle progression, at the permissive- and non-permissive temperature (npt), was followed. The second experiment was an execution point analysis. In the third, premature chromosome condensation was performed between metaphase HeLa cells and temperature-blocked ts 2 cells. The resulting prematurely-condensed chromosomes were largely of the morphotype of very late G1 cells. The ts 2 cells are prevented from expressing their defect by temporary incubation at 38.5 degrees C in the G0, non-cycling state and by prior arrest in early S phase, imposed by hydroxyurea treatment. Such prevention is not allowed ts 2 cells incubated at the npt in the absence of isoleucine, a procedure which brings cells to mid-G1 arrest.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in mouse cells which exhibit temperature-sensitive DNA synthesis

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity of wild-type mouse L cells and of Balb/C-3T3 mouse fibroblasts remained relatively unchanged (at approx. 400 nmol substrate utilized/mg DNA per h) in actively-growing cells incubated at 34 degrees C or at 38.5 degrees C for at least 72 h. A similar result was obtained with the following temperature-sensitive cells grown at the permissive temperature (34 degrees C): ts A1S9 mouse L cells, ts C1 mouse L cells and Balb/C-3T3 ts mouse fibroblasts. The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity of the temperature-sensitive cells was little affected during incubation for 20-24 h at the non-permissive temperature of 38.5 degrees C under which conditions temperature-inactivation of DNA replication was complete. Thereafter, this enzyme activity was found to increase some 2-fold, at a time when normal semi-conservative DNA synthesis was totally suppressed and replaced by repair replication (Sheinin, R. and Guttman, S. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 479, 105-118; Sheinin, R., Dardick, I. and Doane, F.W. (1980) Exp. Cell. Res., in the press).

Protein synthesis and degradation during expression of the temperature-sensitive defect in ts A1S9 mouse L-cells

The involvement of altered protein metabolism in the expression of the temperature-sensitive (ts) pleiotropic phenotype of ts A1S9 cells was investigated. Cells are ts in growth and DNA replication. They undergo decondensation of their heterochromatin, interruptions of chromatin synthesis, and changes in cell size and morphology at the non-permissive temperature (npt) of 38.5 degrees C. Whereas the rates of incorporation of 3H-leucine, 35S-methionine, and 3H-fucose into proteins were unaffected at 38.5 degrees C, net protein accumulation was greatly reduced. This imbalance resulted from a rapid increase in the rate of protein degradation at the npt. Enhancement of protein degradation was detected within 2-4 hours after temperature upshift and constitutes the earliest metabolic alteration thus far observed during expression of the temperature-sensitive phenotype. The average half-life of proteins performed in ts A1S9 cells at 34 degrees C was decreased four-fold at the npt, and all major cytoplasmic proteins were affected equally. Enhanced protein degradation at the npt was shown to be sensitive to cycloheximide, ammonia, chloroquine, and vinblastine at concentrations that did not affect the basal protein degradation of normally cycling cells. Increased protein degradation at 38.5 degrees C did not involve an equivalent increase in total cellular protease activity. The data obtained are compatible with a model that suggests that temperature inactivation of the ts A1S9 gene product results in activation of a lysosome-mediated mechanism for the rapid degradation of cytoplasmic proteins.

Temperature-sensitive mutants of BALB/3T3 cells. III. Hybrids between ts2 and other mouse mutant cells affected in DNA synthesis and correction of ts2 defect by human X chromosome

Complementation studies were performed with ts2, a mouse 3T3 cell mutant temperature sensitive (ts) for cell and viral DNA synthesis. The ts phenotype is corrected by non-ts mouse or human cells and a non-DNA ts mutant. This gene had been localized to a region on the human X chromosome near the HPRT locus based on isozyme and karyotype analysis of hybrids. Unusually rapid loss and fragmentation of human chromosomes occurs in hybrids with ts2. Hybrids between ts2 and other DNA- ts mutants of mouse cells did not show complementation of the growth phenotype.

DNA and histone synthesis in mouse cells which exhibit temperature-sensitive DNA synthesis

It is demonstrated that temperature inactivation of histone synthesis is coupled to inhibition of DNA replication in ts AlS9 and ts Cl mouse L-cells, which are temperature-sensitive (ts) in an S-phase function. In contrast, uncoupling of histone and DNA synthesis occurs in BalB/C-3T3 ts 2 cells which are ts in a function of the pre-DNA-synthetic phase. Termination of histone synthesis in ts AlS9 and ts Cl cells is 16--18 h after onset of temperature inactivation of DNA replication and appears to be associated with general cessation of chromatin replication triggered by the earlier event. Synthesis of histone and other chromosomal proteins proceeds in ts 2 cells under conditions in which DNA synthesis undergoes temperature inactivation. It is suggested that the terminal phenotype of coupled temperature inactivation of DNA and histone synthesis may be diagnostic of cells ts in an S-phase function and may therefore be a useful secondary screen in designation of cell cycle mutants.

Defective DNA synthesis in megaloblastic anaemia. Studies employing velocity sedimentation in alkaline sucrose gradients

1. Autoradiographic experiments revealed that the average size of the replicating unit (replicon) in human phytohaemagglutunin-stimulated lymphocytes is 45 (+/- 1.3) micron. 2. A 5 min pulse of [3H]thymidine labelled DNA chains of approximately 40 S (15 micron) in control lymphocytes as revealed by velocity sedimentation in alkaline sucrose density gradients. Upon chasing in the absence of [3H]-thymidine the labelled DNA increased in size. By 6 h the bulk of the label co-sedimented with full-sized chromosomal DNA. 3. In untreated lymphocytes from patients with megaloblastic anaemia due to vitamin B-12 or folate deficiency or lymphocytes treated with methotrexate (10(-5) M) or hydroxyurea (5 . 10(-4) M) the increase in size of pulse-labelled DNA was slower than in control cells. 4. The block in maturation of pulse-labelled DNA to bulk DNA was not permanent. At 24 h of chase 75-80% of the pulse-label in both control and megaloblastic lymphocytes co-sedimented with bulk DNA. 5. We conclude that the lesions seen in DNA synthesis in megaloblastic anaemia due to folate or vitamin B-12 deficiencies occur through impaired biosynthesis of nucleotide precursors of DNA. Possible explanations of why the defects in DNA synthesis cause altered morphology of proliferating cells in megaloblastic anaemia are suggested.