Analysis of the capacity of extracts from normal human young and senescent fibroblasts to support DNA synthesis in vitro

Cytoplasmic extracts from early‐passage (young), late‐passage (senescent) normal human fibroblast (HF) cultures and immortalized human cell lines (HeLa, HT‐1080, and MANCA) were analyzed for their ability to support semiconservative DNA synthesis in an in vitro SV40‐ori DNA replication system. Unsupplemented extracts from the three permanent cell lines were demonstrated to be active in this system; whereas young HF extracts were observed to be minimally active, and no activity could be detected in the senescent HF extracts. The activity of these extracts was compared after supplementation with three recombinant human replication factors: (1) the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α (DNA pol‐α‐cat), (2) the three subunits of replication protein A (RPA), and (3) DNA topoisomerase I (Topo I). The addition of all three recombinant proteins is required for optimum activity in the young and senescent HF extracts; the order of the level of activity is: transformed > young HF > senescent HF. Young HF extracts supplemented with RPA alone are able to support significant replicative activity but not senescent extracts which require both RPA and DNA pol‐α‐cat for any detectable activity. The necessary requirement for these factors is confirmed by the failure of unsupplemented young and senescent extracts to activate MANCA extracts that have been immunodepleted of DNA pol‐α‐cat or RPA. Immunocytochemical studies revealed that RPA, DNA pol‐α, PCNA, and topo I levels are higher in the immortal cell types used in these studies. In the HF cells, levels of DNA pol‐α‐cat and PCNA are higher (per mg protein) in the low‐passage than in the senescent cells. By contrast, RPA levels, as determined by immunocytochemical or Western blot studies, were observed to be similar in both young and senescent cell nuclei. Taken together, these results indicate that the low to undetectable activity of young HF extracts in this system is due mainly to reduced intracellular levels of RPA, while the senescent HF extracts are relatively deficient in DNA polymerase α and probably some other essential replication factors, as well as RPA. Moreover, the retention of RPA in the senescent HF nuclei contributes to the low level of this factor in the cytoplasmic extracts from these cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 73:176–187, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.