HYDROXYSTEARIC ACID EFFECTS ON CDC2 HISTONE H1 KINASE-ACTIVITY IN C108 CARCINOMA-CELLS

HSA at appropriate concentrations shows cytostatic and/or cytotoxic ef fects on murine Lewis carcinoma cell line C108. The cytostatic effect is mediated by an arrest in the cell cycle machinery, with accumulatio n of cells in G2-M. The combination of enzymatic assays, cell cycle ki netics studies and immunoprecipitation shows that HSA causes to a cert ainty an accumulation of cells in the M phase, while a similar effect in G2 has still to be demonstrated. It also inhibits histone H1 kinase activity up to 95% of that of mitotic cells, having as a direct or in direct target the cdc2 complex. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.