Expression of ribonucleotide reductase after ionizing radiation in human cervical carcinoma cells

Ribonucleotide reductase (RR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo synthesis of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), is a potential target for cancer therapy. We characterized the response of RR in a human cervical carcinoma cell line, Caski, after damage by ionizing radiation (IR). We also investigated the cell cycle regulation of both the regulatory (R1) and catalytic (R2) RR subunits in an attempt to distinguish between a direct DNA damage induction of RR by IR and a cell cycle-dependent expression of RR after IR. Confluent, growth-arrested Caski cells showed a > or = 5-fold increase in R2 mRNA and an 18-fold increase in R2 protein as cells entered S phase after serum stimulation. The R2 protein levels peaked in late S phase and returned to lower basal levels in G2-M. No changes in R1 mRNA and protein levels occurred with progression through the cell cycle after serum stimulation. In growth-arrested Caski cells treated with IR (6 Gy) without serum stimulation, a similar rise (17-fold) in R2 protein was evident at 24 h after IR and was associated with a 4-fold increase in in situ RR enzyme activity, but no increases in R1 and R2 mRNA nor R1 protein were found. E2 promoter binding factor 1 mRNA and protein levels also showed no change after IR. Growth-arrested controls (no IR and no serum stimulation) showed <4-fold elevation in R2 protein. These data suggest that RR plays a role in IR-mediated damage responses in Caski cells, which appears different than RR regulation after a proliferation (serum) stimulus. Such a response to IR in human tumor cells has not been reported previously. The use of specific R2 protein or RR enzyme inhibitors after IR may enhance IR cytotoxicity by altering this potential RR-mediated repair pathway.