DIFFERENTIAL EFFECT OF COFORMYCIN ON THE CELL-CYCLE TRAVERSE OF NORMAL AND SIMIAN VIRUS-40-TRANSFORMED HUMAN-FIBROBLASTS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (3) , 1269-1274
Abstract
Normal and SV40-transformed human embryonic lung fibroblasts inculture were exposed to 3.5 .mu.M coformycin (CF). This treatment resulted in almost complete inhibition of adenosine deaminase activity in both cell lines and retarded the progress of the fibroblasts through the cell cycle, as measured by the rate of cell proliferation. There was a marked difference, however, in the effect of CF on the traverse of different segments of the cell cycle. In normal fibroblasts, CF rapidly but transiently inhibited cell entry into visible stages of mitosis and delayed the progress through S and G2. In transformed fibroblasts, the effects of CF on the cell cycle included an early acceleration of the cell entry into visible mitosis and prolongation of this phase of the cell cycle. Inhibition of adenosine deaminase can have different effects on the traverse of the critical segments of the cell cycle in normal and transformed cells. [CF is a member of a group of nucleoside analogs which potentiate the tumoricidal action of adenosine analogs.].