A cell cycle study of the effects of Con A on synchronized mouse embryo fibroblasts: arrest at two specific stages of the cycle and dissociation between uptake of thymidine and DNA synthesis.

We have examined the effects of 50 microgram ml-1 of Con A added to synchronized mouse embryo fibroblasts at different times during the cell cycle. We found that Con A caused arrest of growth not solely by preventing G1-G0 cells from entering the S-phase but also by exerting a G2 block. We also found that Con A, which prevented commencement of S-phase, did not arrest cells already in S from reaching the G2 stage but inhibited the S-phase associated process of thymidine uptake. The inhibition was greater when the Con A receptors were extensively clustered.