Exposure of JB-6 mouse epidermal cells to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate is not accompanied by a significant change in total DNA-cytosine methylation.

The extent of methylation of the cytosine bases in DNA is believed to be a major factor influencing gene expression in eukaryotic cells. We have asked whether the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) alters the amount of 5-methylcytosine in DNA. The amount and relative distribution of 5-methylcytosine in the DNA of two subclones of the JB-6 mouse epidermal cell line were determined respectively by high performance liquid chromatography and digestion with the restriction enzymes MspI and HpaII. Exposure to TPA for up to several cell generations had no detectable effect on the degree of DNA methylation (3.9% of the total cytosine) in the two JB-6 lines or Friend erythroleukemia cells. Reduced methylation was readily detected in DNA extracted from cells exposed to 5-azacytidine. The data suggest that tumor promotion (at least that induced by TPA) is likely not the consequence of a generalized elevation or reduction in the amount of 5-methyl-cytosine in the DNA.