Cellular proliferation and hypusine synthesis.

Hypusine (N(-)-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl) lysine), a spermidine-dependent post-translational protein modification, is synthesized by various mammalian cells in culture. Experiments described in this paper demonstrated a relationship between rates of cellular growth and the synthesis of hypusine. Cells that divide at fast rates have a high rate of hypusine synthesis. In kinetic experiments, a positive relationship is evident between the rates of protein, DNA and hypusine synthesis. Cells seeded at high density, growing non-exponentially, synthesized less hypusine than logarithmically growing cells seeded at low density. Slowing the growth rate of cells by modification of the external milieu also results in a decreased rate of hypusine synthesis. These results provide additional evidence of the association of hypusine with cell proliferation in cultured cell lines and suggest a possible role for this unusual post-translational modification in the complex macromolecular events leading to cellular growth.