Regulation of the salvage pathway of deoxynucleotides synthesis in apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation

Here we describe changes in dNTP metabolism that precede DNA fragmentation in a model of apoptosis driven by deprivation of the cytokine interleukin 3 (IL-3). In haemopoietic BAF3 cells, IL-3 withdrawal leads to a rapid decrease in the size of dATP, dTTP and dGTP pools without affecting dCTP levels. This imbalance in dNTP pools precedes DNA fragmentation and is accompanied by down-regulation of enzymes controlling the de novo and salvage pathways of dNTP synthesis, ribonucleotide reductase and thymidine kinase (TK) respectively. Readdition of IL-3 results in a rapid, protein synthesis-independent restoration of normal dNTP pools, enhanced TK activity and increased precursor incorporation through the salvage pathway. Up-regulation of TK activity after IL-3 readdition is prevented by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor staurosporin, but not by tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Furthermore activation of PKC by phorbol esters mimics the stimulatory effect of IL-3 on TK activity, suggesting that PKC might be involved in regulating this effect. These results indicate that regulation by IL-3 of the salvage pathway of dNTP synthesis plays a role in the maintenance of cellular dNTP pool balance and suggests that alterations in dNTP metabolism after IL-3 deprivation could be a relevant event in the commitment of haemopoietic cells to apoptosis.