DNA ligase and DNase activities in mouse erythroleukemia cells during dimethyl sulfoxide-induced differentiation.

DNA ligase and DNase levels were measured in cell-free extracts from untreated mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells and from cells treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) to induce erythroid differentiation. The DNase activity present in the extracts was sensitive to inhibition by G-actin and was, therefore, presumed to be DNase I. When the MEL cells were induced to differentiate by culturing in the presence of 1.8% Me2SO for 3 or 4 days, the apparent activity of the DNA ligase decreased to approximately 12% of the value in untreated MEL cells. In contrast, the apparent DNase I activity of the extracts from Me2SO-treated cells increased over that in extracts from untreated cells by a factor of 2. The activity of acid phosphatase, a lysosomal enzyme, remained unchanged. When strain DR-10, a mutant of the MEL cells which does not undergo Me2SO-induced differentiation, was treated with Me2SO, the DNA ligase and DNase activities of extracts from these cells remained unchanged as compared to extracts from untreated DR-10 cells. Therefore, the marked increase in the level of DNA ligase activity appeared to be related to the process of differentiation in the Me2SO-treated MEL cells.