DNA replication and cell-cycle progression of cultured mouse FM3a cells after treatment with 8-methoxypsoralen plus near UV-radiation.

To investigate the response of cells to one type of DNA damage--namely DNA crosslinks--cell-cycle progression and macromolecular synthesis were studied with cultured mouse FM3A cells. Treatment of the cells with low doses of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus near-UV radiation (0.1 micrograms/ml plus 5 kJ/m2 or 1.0 micrograms/ml plus 1-2.5 kJ/m2) halted the progression of cells through the cell cycle temporarily for the first several hours. Then the cells resumed progression through the cell cycle, and most of the cells reached, and were finally arrested at, the G2 phase of the cycle. There was a rapid decrease of incorporation of [3H]thymidine into cellular Dna immediately after the treatment. Then, after 8 h of incubation, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine recovered to some extent depending on the dose of 8-MOP plus near-UV radiation. Thus the decrease and recovery of the incorporation of [3H]thymidine were correlated with the halt and resumption in the cell-cycle process. Synthesis of RNA and protein was measured by determination of the amounts in the cells or by the incorporation of radioactive precursors after treatment. RNA and protein synthesis were stimulated by low doses of 8-MOP plus near-UV radiation, but inhibited severely by high doses.