Bloom's syndrome cells have an abnormal serum growth response

Certain growth responses of Bloom's syndrome (BS) dermal fibroblasts have been compared to those of normal human fibroblasts. By applying the principles of Michaelis-Menton kinetics to clonal dose-response data, serum and epidermal growth factor (EGF) requirements of the two cell types were found to be similar. However, the maximal clonal growth rate of BS cells was significantly lower than that of their normal counterparts. Although specific EGF binding by BS cells was marginally higher than in normal cells, EGF's growth-promoting activity was only half of that seen in normal cells. These observations indicate that the abnormally low growth rate of BS cells is not attributable to excessive requirements for serum-derived growth factors and suggest instead that the genetic defect in some way impairs the cells' ability to respond fully to growth stimulation.