Abstract
THE addition to culture medium of phosphorylated compounds which preferentially bind Mg2+ substantially reduces the rate of DNA synthesis and metabolism of chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF)1. This has suggested that Mg2+ might be an intracellular regulator for coordinate control of the rate of cell growth and metabolism in animal cells1. We report here that the omission of Mg2+ from the culture medium can have considerable effects on cell growth and macromolecular synthesis by CEF if the Mg2+ is withdrawn at the time cells are being stimulated to grow by means of an increase in the concentration of serum in the medium. These observations are discussed in terms of a model in which the intracellular concentration of free Mg2+ coordinately regulates the rate of metabolism and cell growth through its role as an essential cofactor for transphosphorylation reactions.
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KAMINE, J., RUBIN, H. Magnesium required for serum-stimulation of growth in cultures of chick embryo fibroblasts. Nature 263, 143–145 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263143a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263143a0
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