Ornithine decarboxylase in difluoromethylornithine-resistant mouse lymphoma cells. Two-dimensional gel analysis of synthesis and turnover.

Variant S49 mouse lymphoma cells with increased ornithine decarboxylase activity were obtained by selecting for resistance to alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific inhibitor of the enzyme. Ornithine decarboxylase was identified as a specifically immunoprecipitable polypeptide that was made at an increased rate in the variant cells. Ornithine decarboxylase was also identified on a two-dimensional gel as a metabolically labeled polypeptide of Mr approximately 55,000 which was synthesized at an increased rate in two independently selected variants. Synthesis of this polypeptide was further augmented by treatment of cells with inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase activity. The charge of the polypeptide was altered by treatment of either cells or cellular extracts with DFMO, a suicide substrate which binds covalently to the enzyme. This charge alteration and the inactivation of ornithine decarboxylase showed the same dependence on DFMO concentration and both effects were prevented by addition of either ornithine or putrescine. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the half-life of the ornithine decarboxylase polypeptide in these variant cells was 45 min. We conclude that ornithine decarboxylase is made at an increased rate in the resistant variants and that the polypeptide turns over rapidly.