Differentiation associated changes in thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase activities in intestinal cells.

Proliferative and mature intestinal cells of the jejunum and colon of rat, colon of man, and the surface cells of neoplastic colon lesions of man were assayed for thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase activities. Cells from the proliferative region of rat jejunal mucosa were found to have higher enzyme activities than cells from the non-proliferative region. Thymidylate synthetase activity was observed to decrease as cells migrated from base to upper crypt, whereas thymidine kinase activity increased during crypt migration and then declined as cells migrated onto villi. Thymidine kinase activity also remained elevated longer than thymidylate synthetase during cell migration in colonic mucosa of rat and man. High thymidine kinase: thymidylate synthetase ratios similar to those observed in flat mucosa before cells become fully mature were found in cells removed from expanding neoplastic lesions of man.