Relationship between the depletion of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase by O6-methylguanine and the stimulation of DNA synthesis and growth of cultured chick hepatocytes.

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) has been described as a DNA repair enzyme that reverses alkylation damage at the O6 position of guanine in DNA. We demonstrate that the concentration of this protein decreases immediately prior to DNA synthesis in cultured chick hepatocytes. If intracellular levels are experimentally depleted by treatment of cultures with O6-methylguanine, DNA synthesis occurs as an associated resultant. This effect is dose dependent and can be followed by discernible morphological changes of organoids in culture. Increased and altered growth caused by O6-methylguanine was quantified and was also found to be dose dependent. Therefore, O6-MT may play a role in the regulation of DNA synthesis.