tsBN75 and tsBN423, temperature-sensitive x-linked mutants of the BHK21 cell line, can be complemented by the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 cDNA.

tsBN75 and tsBN423 are independently isolated temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of the BHK21 cell line for cell growth. Both tsBN75 and tsBN423 belong to the same complementation group and show G2 block at the nonpermissive temperature. Both were efficiently transformed to ts+ cells with the mouse and human cDNA encoding the ubiquitin-activating enzyme, E1. While no transformants of tsBN423 cells had a DNA content greater than the parental 2C, several ts+ transformants of tsBN75 cells acquired a multiploid DNA content. These data thus demonstrate the function of the human and mouse E1 cDNAs and further suggest that E1 functions in more than one step in cell cycle progression.