Growth activation of resting cells: induction of balanced and imbalanced growth.

Little is known about how mitogenic factors generate growth regulatory signals and how these are mediated within the cell. We have developed three different types of mitogenic stimuli in order to identify the possible existence of common denominators in a complex and perhaps pleiotypic signal-response system. 3T3 cells, starved to quiescence by reducing the serum content of the culture medium 100-fold, can be irreversibly committed to undergo DNA replication and mitosis in a serum-free medium after an initial exposure of short duration to (a) serum factors and cholesterol, (b) a relative excess of glutamine, or (c) alkaline pH. Cells stimulated by any of these procedures, and subsequently incubated in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) undergo DNA replication and mitosis in the absence of concomitant cellular enlargement (imbalanced growth). However, cellular enlargement is induced after the initial mitogenic stimuli (a, b, and c, as described previously) if the cells are subsequently incubated in DMEM containing greater than or equal to 0.5% serum, supraphysiological concentrations of insulin, or normal concentrations of somatomedin C.