Serum concentration: effects on cycle and x-ray sensitivity of mammalian cells.

If the content of serum in the culture medium of exponentially growing Chinese hamster cells is below optimum (15 percent), the doubling time and the resistance to x-irradiation of the cells are increased. In synchronously dividing populations the increase in doubling time is primarily caused by increase in duration of the postmitotic (G(1)) phase of the cells; this phase is relatively radiation resistant. The response of the cells growing synchronously is related quantitatively to the response of the cells dividing randomly.