Demonstration of cell cycle kinetics in thyroid primary culture by immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen: differences in cyclic AMP-dependent and -independent mitogenic stimulations.

In this study, experimental conditions are described that allowed us to follow the fate of the DNA polymerase delta-associated proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), by immunolabeling during the overall cell cycle. Differences in subcellular localization or the presence of PCNA allowed us to identify each phase of the cell cycle. Using these cell cycle markers in dog thyroid epithelial cells in primary culture, we found unexpected differences in cell cycle kinetics, in response to stimulations through cAMP-dependent and cAMP-independent pathways. These provide a new dimension to the view that the two pathways are largely separate, but co-operate on DNA synthesis initiation. More precisely, thyrotropin (TSH), acting via cAMP, exerts a potent triggering effect on DNA synthesis, associated with a precocious induction of PCNA appearance. This constitutes the major influence of TSH (cAMP) in determining cell cycle progression, which is only partly moderated by TSH-dependent lengthening of S- and G2-phases.