Regulation of initiation of DNA synthesis in Chinese hamster cells. I. Production of stable, reversible G1-arrested populations in suspension culture.

Suspension cultures of Chinese hamster cells (line CHO) were grown to stationary phase (approximately 8-9 x 10(5) cells/ml) in F-10 medium. Cells remained viable (95%) for at least 80 hr in stationary phase, and essentially all of the cells were in G(1) Upon resuspension or dilution with fresh medium, the cells were induced to resume traverse of the life cycle in in synchrony, and the patterns of DNA synthesis and division were similar to those observed in cultures prepared by mitotic selection. Immediately after dilution, the rates of synthesis of RNA and protein increased threefold. This system provides a simple technique for production of large quantities of highly synchronized cells and may ultimately provide information on the biochemical mechanisms regulating cell-cycle traverse.