Labeling DNA with stable isotopes: economical and practical considerations

Labeling DNA with stable isotopes to measure cell proliferation can be a technique as effective as 3H-thymidine labeling without the limitations imposed by using radioisotopes. Here, we investigated the relative efficiency of four nonradioactive precursors to DNA: [1-13C]-glycine, [1,2-13C2]-glycine, [U-13C]-glucose, and [U-13C, 15N]-thymidine. The efficiency of incorporation for each of these labeled precursors in HEP G2 cells in culture has been studied. When considering the actual costs of in vivo experiments in which large doses of labeled material are needed, economical constraints may play an important role in defining a practical method. Therefore, the economics of this process were also considered. Using the enrichment per dollar for whichever nucleoside had the highest incorporation in a given experiment, glycine is about five times more economical as a label than thymidine and eight times more economical than glucose in these cells.