p53-independent increase in p21WAF1 and reciprocal down-regulation of cyclin A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in bromodeoxyuridine-mediated growth arrest of human melanoma cells

Mary Strasberg Rieber, Danny R. Welch, Mary E. Miele, Manuel Rieber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Differentially regulated expression of activators and inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) modulate cell cycle progression. In normal fibroblasts, these complexes consist of the cdk inhibitor p21WAF1/PCNA/G1 cyclin/cdk. We now show that bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), a thymidine analogue and radiation sensitizer, inhibits growth and activity of cyclin A-cdk2 kinase in metastatic C8161 and nonmetastatic neo 6.3/C8161 human melanoma cells. Inhibition is not due to altered levels of cyclin D or catalytic cdk2 but involves a decrease in cyclin A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, paralleled by higher levels of p21WAF1 without increases in p53. In contrast to serum starvation, which prevents accumulation of cyclins A and D in normal fibroblasts, such treatment did not down-regulate either cyclin in these melanoma cells, implying an aberrant control for G1 cyclins in these tumor cells. However, cyclin A was decreased by BrdUrd, suggesting that this pyrimidine analogue arrests melanoma cells at a G1 transition point, unlike that of serum starvation. This is the first report indicating that the antitumor therapeutic action of BrdUrd may be mediated by a p53-independent reciprocal effect on activators and inhibitors of cdk kinases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)197-202
Number of pages6
JournalCell Growth and Differentiation
Volume7
Issue number2
StatePublished - Feb 1996

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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