Inhibition of cell division by interferons. The relationship between changes in utilization of thymidine for DNA synthesis and control of proliferation in Daudi cells.

Inhibition of the proliferation of Daudi cells by exposure to human lymphoblastoid interferons is associated with an early and marked decrease in the incorporation into DNA of exogenous [3H]thymidine when cells are incubated with trace amounts of this precursor. In contrast, incorporation of exogenous deoxyadenosine into DNA is unchanged under the same conditions. Interferon treatment results in a lowering of thymidine kinase activity, an effect which may be largely responsible for the inhibition of incorporation of labelled thymidine into DNA. At higher concentrations of exogenous thymidine, which minimize the contribution of intracellular sources to the dTTP pool, the inhibition of thymidine incorporation is abolished. Under conditions in which exogenous thymidine is rigorously excluded from the medium or, conversely, in which cells are entirely dependent on exogenous thymidine for growth, the magnitude of the inhibition of cell proliferation by interferons is the same as under normal culture conditions. We conclude that, even though cell growth is impaired, the rate of DNA synthesis is not grossly inhibited up to 48 h after commencement of interferon treatment. Furthermore, changes in neither the utilization of exogenous thymidine nor the synthesis of nucleotides de novo are responsible for the effect on cell proliferation.