title: Inhibition of mevalonate synthesis with compactin does not prevent DNA replication in cultured animal cells.
abstract: Compactin is a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme that catalyses the synthesis of mevalonate. In this study we have investigated the effects of compactin on DNA replication and cell cycle progression in animal cell cultures. We have examined several different cell types for cell cycle inhibitory effects of compactin, and although we can demonstrate that compactin inhibits mevalonate synthesis in BHK cells, we have observed little or no effect on the cell cycle. Similar results were obtained using different synchronization procedures and by measuring cell cycle progression by [3H]dThd labelling of DNA and with flow cytometry. We conclude that compactin has no appreciable and general effect on DNA replication in animal cells. These results are discussed in terms of the implications for mevalonate being a universal regulator of cell cycle progression in cultured animal cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D009281:Naphthalenes; C012258:mevastatin; D008148:Lovastatin; D008798:Mevalonic Acid