Increased inosine 5{prime}-monophosphate dehydrogenase gene expression in replicating cells: A response to growth factors, not to changes in cell cycle parameters

The authors have analyzed levels of inosine 5{prime}-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH; E.C. 1.1.1.205) type II mRNA levels in a human melanoma cell line, SK-MEL-131, and a Chinese hamster ovary cell line synchronously progressing through the cell cycle following treatment with aphidicolin. Following release from the aphidicolin block at the G{sub 1}-S phase boundary, the type II IMPDH gene was found to be constitutively expressed at a similar level during all stages of the cell cycle. To analyze growth regulation, as opposed to cell cycle regulation, stable SK-MEL-131 transfectants that express a type II IMPDH-promoted heterologous construct were assayed following deprivation of serum growth factors and after restimulation with fresh serum. Serum deprivation resulted in down-regulation of both steady state type II IMPDH mRNA levels and promoter activity, while restimulation with serum resulted in up-regulation of these parameters. These findings support the conclusion that the increase in IMPDH type II gene expression in replicating cells is mainly due to growth factor regulation rather than changes in cell cycle parameters and that this regulation is mediated primarily by a transcriptional mechanism. The increased level of IMPDH expression and activity found in many tumors may therefore also be due to a transcriptionally mediated response to growth factors