Full replacement of 2-mercaptoethanol by cysteine plus selenium compounds in augmenting DNA synthesis of mitogen-stimulated mouse spleen lymphocytes.
Mouse spleen lymphocytes require 2-mercaptoethanol for maximal mitogenic activation in vitro. Previous studies indicate that the lymphocytes are defective in the cystine transport activity and that they require 2-mercaptoethanol to utilize cystine. 2-Mercaptoethanol catalytically carries cysteine moiety into the cells in a mixed disulfide form. Because cysteine is easily oxidized to cysteine in the culture medium, it has been not easy to precisely examine the effect of near-physiological concentrations of cysteine on the activation of lymphocytes. By controlling the cysteine content in the medium, we have reviewed the effect of cysteine to see if cysteine replaces 2-mercaptoethanol in enhancing the DNA synthesis of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated lymphocytes. It was found that cysteine was less effective than 2-mercaptoethanol, and that cysteine fully replaced 2-mercaptoethanol when a selenium compound was supplemented. The effects of cysteine and selenium compounds were apparently independent and additive. Among the selenium compounds examined, sodium selenite and L-selenocystine were much more effective in stimulating DNA synthesis than sodium selenate and L-selenomethionine.
Ishii
T
T
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki-ken, Japan.
Sugita
Y
Y
Bannai
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010618:Phenanthrolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D008934:Mitogens; D010618:Phenanthrolines; D014810:Vitamin E; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; C028559:bathocuproine sulfonate; D004247:DNA; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione; D012643:Selenium; D003545:Cysteine