Influence on certain amino acids on steps leading to DNA synthesis in concanavalin A-treated guinea-pig lymphocytes.

When guinea-pig lymph node cells were exposed to ConA in a culture medium lacking glutamine or cysteine, no DNA synthesis occurred. The addition of the missing acid to ConA-treated lymphocytes submitted to glutamine or cysteine starvation for 40 h allowed the synthesis of DNA to take place after a period of only 10-12 h. The synthesis of DNA is preceded by a rapid increase of 3H-uridine incorporation into RNA and of 3H-leucine incorporation into protein which occurred a few hours after addition of the missing amino acid. When cycloheximide was added to lymphocytes exposed to ConA in a glutamine or cysteine deprived medium, a relative enhancement of uridine incorporation was observed. No such effect was provoked by puromycin. These results suggest the possibility of a control system in lymphocytes similar to those described in microbial cells for amino acid control of RNA synthesis.