Characterization of DNA polymerase beta mRNA: cell-cycle and growth response in cultured human cells.

DNA polymerase beta (beta-polymerase) is a housekeeping enzyme involved in DNA repair in vertebrate cells. We used a cDNA probe to study abundance of beta-polymerase mRNA in cultured human cells. The mRNA level in synchronized HeLa cells, representing different stages of the cell-cycle, varied only slightly. Contact inhibited fibroblasts AG-1522 contained the same level of mRNA as growing cells. The steady-state level of mRNA in fibroblasts is equivalent to 6 molecules per cell. The results indicate that the beta-polymerase transcript is "low abundance" and is neither cell-cycle nor growth phase responsive.