ODC Induction Research Articles

Induction of epidermal and hepatic ornithine decar☐ylase by a Prudhoe Bay crude oil

Application of a Prudhoe Bay crude oil (PBCO) to the backs of mice caused a rapid induction of epidermal ornithine decar☐ylase (ODC). A maximum induction of over 60-fold was seen at 6 hr after application of 50 μl of PBCO. Concurrently, epidermal putrescine levels were elevated 4.7-fold over controls. Intraperitoneal administration of PBCO led to a 15–20-fold increase in hepatic ODC activity but to a 45% decrease in the renal enzyme activity. Maximum induction of ODC was seen at 12 hr following the administration of 4 ml/kg body wt of PBCO. Hepatic putrescine levels were elevated 34-fold over controls. Pretreatment of mice with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide abolished both epidermal and hepatic ODC induction.

Effects of Various Tumor Promoters on Expression of Cartilage Phenotypes in Rabbit Costal Chondrocytes in Culture1

12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a skin tumor-promoting phorbol ester, and teleocidin and aplysiatoxin, which are potent tumor promoters in mouse skin but are chemically unrelated to phorbol esters, induced change of cultured rabbit costal chondrocytes from a polygonal to a fibroblastic shape and inhibited glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis and metachromatic matrix formation in these cells. The potencies of teleocidin and aplysiatoxin to inhibit GAG synthesis were almost the same as that of TPA. On the other hand, Tween 60 and cantharidin, weak mouse skin tumor promoters, phenobarbital, a liver tumor promoter, and saccharin, a bladder tumor promoter, had no effect on the morphology or GAG synthesis of cultured chondrocytes. Like TPA, teleocidin and aplysiatoxin increased DNA and RNA syntheses of chondrocytes. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP reversed the morphological and histochemical changes caused by a 4-day treatment with teleocidin or aplysiatoxin as well as with TPA, reversal being apparent after 2 days. PTH increased intracellular cyclic AMP after 2 min in chondrocytes pretreated with teleocidin or aplysiatoxin as well as with TPA. PTH also increased ornithine decarboxylase [ODC; EC 4.1.1.17] activity in these chondrocytes after 4 h. These results show that retention of responsiveness to PTH is a typical characteristic of chondrocytes dedifferentiated by treatment with TPA-type tumor promoters such as TPA, teleocidin and aplysiatoxin. The results also suggest that ODC induction mediated by elevation of cyclic AMP plays an important role in re-differentiation of teleocidin- and aplysiatoxin-treated chondrocytes.

Ornithine decarboxylase activity in foetal rat brain cells and in the mouse embryo fibroblasts C3H/10T1/2 CL8 cells: Differences in response to medium change and to the tumor promoter TPA

1. 1. 12- O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) in normal, preneoplastic and malignant rat brain cells in culture, but treatment with phorbol, acetate or medium shift resulted in a similar response. 2. 2. Medium shift induced ODC activity in C3H/10T1/2 CL8 cells 4 and 12 hr after treatment. TPA induced only the 12 hr peak. 3. 3. ODC induction in C3H/10T1/2 CL8 cells was completely inhibited by cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Addition of α-amanitin abolished the 12 hr peak, but the TPA induced ODC activity was only partly inhibited. 4. 4. ODC induction by TPA was lower in C3H/10T1/2 CL8 cells initiated with 3-methyl-cholanthrene (MCA). 5. 5. ODC increased with TPA up to 10 −7M and decreased at higher concentrations of TPA.

Polyamines in intestinal and pancreatic adaptation.

The intestinal mucosa is a rapidly proliferative tissue, with a highly dynamic cell population. Its total cellular mass is well controlled and can adapt, with hypo- or hyperplasia, to a wide variety of stimuli. Luminal nutrients, hormonal factors, and pancreatic and biliary secretions have all been implicated in the regulation of intestinal mucosal adaptation. Similarly, the same factors appear essential for the maintenance of exocrine pancreatic structure and function. The polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) and the key enzyme controlling their synthesis (ornithine decarboxylase, ODC) are important for many cell growth processes, and may play important roles in intestinal and pancreatic adaptation. During intestinal adaptation in response to jejunectomy, lactation and pancreatico-biliary diversion (PBD), intestinal contents of ODC and polyamines are increased, paralleling increases in mucosal proliferative indices and DNA synthesis. With administration of the specific inhibitor of ODC (difluoromethylornithine, DFMO) the increases in ODC and polyamines are suppressed, and intestinal adaptation is abrogated. In pancreatic hyperplasia induced by caerulein, pancreatic polyamines are increased. With DFMO administration, caerulein-induced increases in pancreatic DNA synthesis were inhibited and pancreatic hypertrophy was partially suppressed. PBD-induced pancreatic hypertrophy, however, was not affected by DFMO. Thus, the role of polyamines in the adaptation of the pancreas, with a relatively quiescent proliferative status, is as yet undefined. It seems clear, however, that the induction of ODC and the resultant increase in polyamine biosynthesis are critical for the normal growth and especially for adaptive hyperplasia of the intestinal mucosa.

Effect of application frequency on epidermal ornithine decarboxylase induction by chrysarobin in SENCAR mice

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC EC 4.1.1.17) induction in mouse epidermis after single or multiple topical applications of chrysarobin differed from that following topical application of 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Following a single application of 220 nmol chrysarobin, ODC activity began to rise at 24 h reaching a peak at 56 h and returned to normal after 96 h. When 5 separate applications of 220 nmol chrysarobin were applied in multiple application protocols, an alteration in the ODC induction response was observed. With a once per week or twice per week application protocol, ODC was elevated in a multiphasic manner giving multiple peaks of activity after the last application. Interestingly, the magnitude of ODC induction was greater using the once per week, compared to the twice per week, application protocol. Preliminary results indicate that a once per week application protocol is more effective than a twice per week protocol for promoting the development of skin papillomas in SENCAR mice. Thus, the magnitude of the induced ODC response with chrysarobin, although low compared to TPA, correlated with tumor promoting activity.

Lack of correlation between TPA-induced prostaglandin biosynthesis and ornithine decarboxylase activity in BALB/c mouse 3T3 fibroblasts

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced in Balb/c 3T3 cells an earliest prostaglandin biosynthesis and an ornithine decarboxylase activation, this time-relation being more evident if serum was added to incubation medium in low concentration (0.2%). However the two TPA-induced events can be almost totally dissociated by pharmacological means, such as indomethacin and calcium-ionophore A23187 which affected PG response to TPA, but did not influence ODC induction.

Wavelength dependence for ornithine decarboxylase induction in vivo.

Abstract— The wavelength dependence for ornithine decarboxylase induction was investigated in vivo in the epidermis of albino hairless mice. A 4 cm2 area of dorsal skin was exposed to narrow wavebands (HPBW 6.6 nm) from a monochromator optically coupled to a 5 kW Xe arc source. Dose‐response studies were caried out at 260, 275, 290, 300 and 315 nm. The animals were sacrificed 24 h after irradiation and the epidermis separated and assayed for ODC activity. A dose‐related induction of ODC was observed at 260, 275, 290 and 300 nm. No stimulation was observed following exposure to 315 nm (maximal dose 6400 J/m2). ODC induction appeared to be linearly related to log UV dose within the dose range of 200 to 1600 J/m2. The dose required to induce an approximately 50‐fold increase in activity (1.5 nmol CO2/h/mg protein) was determined from the dose‐response regression lines and used to construct an action spectrum. Peak effectiveness occurred at 290 nm, with a rapid loss after 300 nm. After correction for epidermal transmission, peak effectiveness was shown to occur around 260 nm.

The role of prostaglandin E1 in ornithine decarboxylase induction by tumor promoters.

The effect of topical application of PGE on induction of ODC in mouse epidermis was measured. When direct induction of ODC by TPA was blocked by also applying indomethacin, maximum ODC activity occurred only when PGE was applied simultaneously with TPA 4 1/2 hr before killing of the mice. If either TPA or PGE was applied at other times, ODC activity decreased substantially. Induction of ODC by mezerein was blocked by indomethacin but restored by PGE, as was observed with TPA, but induction by ethyl phenylpropiolate was not affected by indomethacin or PGE. DMBA did not cause a consistent increase in ODC activity, nor was its inductive action affected by indomethacin or PGE. However, another weak inducer, acetic acid, exhibited elevated ODC activity when PGE was also applied. Inhibition by topical retinoic acid of ODC induction by TPA was partially overcome in a dose-response fashion by PGE. The results indicate that at least 2 events, elevation of PGE and another independent event, are required for induction of ODC activity. It appears that TPA causes at least 4 independent events essential for tumor promotion. A model for the events in the 2-stage tumor promotion model is proposed.

The in vivo inhibition of mouse brain protein kinase-C by retinoic acid

The intracisternal injection of either all- trans-retinoic acid or [α]-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) into the brain of 9-day-old mice blocked (90%) phorbol ester-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) activity in a concentration-dependent fashion; this inhibition was not evident with the use of the biologically impotent furyl analog of retinoic acid. In a similar manner, retinoic acid reduced the soluble protein kinase-C (PK-C) activity by 60% as well as total EGTA-sensitive kinase activity (66%) associated with the plasma membrane. Sixty-six percent of the retinoic acid-induced loss of PK-C activity in the soluble fraction could be accounted for by the translocation of PK-C to the plasma membrane as measured by the specific binding of 12- O-[ 3H]tetradecanylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). DFMO and furyl-retinoic acid were not effective in altering PK-C activity or TPA binding to PK-C. In the presence of retinoic acid, however, there was a 2.3-fold increase in specific [ 3H] TPA binding in the plasma membrane fraction, which was 3.4-fold greater than that lost from the cytosol. Because retinoids do not directly affect TPA binding to PK-C, the data suggest that (i) the presence of retinoic acid results in the exposure of heretofore cryptic TPA-binding sites in the membrane, where this binding is most likely related to the alteration of membrane structure and (ii) de novo ODC induction is not required for retinoid-dependent inhibition of PK-C, although the TPA induction of PK-C appears to be necessary with regard to ODC induction.

Effects of synthetic analogs and fragments of bovine parathyroid hormone on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate level, ornithine decarboxylase activity, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture: structure-activity relations.

Previously, we demonstrated that PTH increases the level of cAMP, the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC; EC 4.1.1.17; which is a rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis), and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis (which is characteristic of the chondrocyte phenotype) in rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture. These studies suggested that the accumulation of cAMP and the induction of ODC by PTH are good markers of the differentiated phenotype of cultured chondrocytes. In the present study, the biological effects of a series of bovine PTH (bPTH) fragments and analogs on these three parameters of PTH action were examined. bPTH-(1-34), [Nle8,Nle18,Tyr34]bPTH-(1-34) amide and bPTH-(1-27) amide increased cAMP levels, ODC activity, and GAG synthesis in a dose-dependent manner over the concentration range of 10(-9)-10(-5) M. The order of decreasing potency was: bPTH-(1-34), [Nle8,Nle18,Tyr34]bPTH-(1-34) amide, and bPTH-(1-27) amide. On the other hand, [Nle8,Nle18,Tyr34]bPTH-(3-34) amide, bPTH-(5-27) amide, and [Tyr34]bPTH-(20-34) amide failed to increase cAMP levels, ODC activity, or GAG synthesis when present in concentrations up to 10(-5) M. However, [Nle8,Nle18,Tyr34]bPTH-(3-34) amide, bPTH-(5-27) amide, and [Tyr34]bPTH-(20-34) amide inhibited bPTH-(1-34)-stimulated increases in cAMP and ODC activity. These results partially define the principal structural determinants within the PTH molecule required for biological activity and expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes.

The effect of transport system A and N amino acids and of nerve and epidermal growth factors on the induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity.

The induction of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) (ODC) by amino acids and by the peptide hormones nerve growth factor (NGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in salts-glucose media has been studied. Only those neutral amino acids taken into the cell via one of the Na+ dependent transport systems stimulate ODC activity. Asparagine and the nonmetabolizable alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (AIB) were used as representatives of this class of inducing amino acids, and their intracellular concentrations were related to the levels of ODC induced. A threshold intracellular concentration of asparagine or AIB has to be attained before ODC can be induced. Further slight increases in intracellular concentrations of asparagine or AIB produce disproportionately large increases of ODC, resulting in a sigmoidal curve of ODC induction. These results, and the fact that the decrease in ODC levels caused by valine is associated with a concurrent decrease in the intracellular level of the inducing amino acid, suggest that the intracellular amino acid level is causally related to the induction of ornithine decarboxylase. Glutamic acid, EGF, and NGF do not induce ODC except in the presence of an inducing amino acid. They act synergistically with the inducing amino acid and produce higher ODC levels at the same intracellular concentration of the inducing amino acid.

Inhibitory effects of glutathione level-raising agents and D-alpha-tocopherol on ornithine decarboxylase induction and mouse skin tumor promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

The constituent amino acids of reduced glutathione (GSH), GSH itself, and D-alpha-tocopherol inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, L-ornithine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.17) activity in mouse epidermis in vivo and in vitro. The inhibitory effects of cysteine (Cys), GSH and D-alpha-tocopherol on ODC induction were proportional to their abilities to decrease the incidence of skin tumors in the initiation-promotion protocol. Moreover, the ability of the constituent amino acids of GSH and GSH to inhibit TPA-induced ODC activity correlated well with their ability to increase the ratio of GSH/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in isolated epidermal cells. In vitro, various treatments with 1 mM GSH, 1 mM glutamic acid (Glu), 1 mM glycine (Gly), 0.4 mM Cys and/or 0.2 mM cystine (CysCys) inhibited dramatically the sharp decline in the intracellular ratio of GSH/GSSG caused by 0.1 microM TPA. Since the inhibitory effects of Cys on both the decrease in the ratio of GSH/GSSG and the induction of ODC activity by TPA were greatly reduced by the inhibitors of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, it is suggested that some of the inhibitory effects of Glu, Cys and Gly on tumor promotion could result from their interference with the metabolism of the tripeptide GSH, a natural antioxidant which inhibits chemical carcinogenesis. The free radical scavenger D-alpha-tocopherol, which did not alter directly the intracellular ratio of GSH/GSSG, also prevented completely the decrease in the ratio of GSH/GSSG caused by TPA. These results, therefore, suggest that GSH level-raising agents and other antioxidants might inhibit by diverse means the effects of TPA on GSH metabolism and skin tumor promotion.

P3B0105) - Inhibitory Effects of Several Types of Calcium Antagonists on the ODC Induction by TPA in the Mouse Epidermal Cells in Vitro

P3B0105) - Inhibitory Effects of Several Types of Calcium Antagonists on the ODC Induction by TPA in the Mouse Epidermal Cells in Vitro

Induction of mouse brain ornithine decarboxylase by 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate is independent of TPA receptor concentration

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, E.C. 4.1.1.17) activity was measured in a 35,000 × g brain supernatant fraction, prepared 5 h after intracisternal injection of 12- O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) into developing mouse brain. TPA-dependent induction of ODC activity was maximal on days 5 and 9 postnatally while on day 7, the developmental (endogenous) level of ODC in brain was high and, concurrently, the ability of TPA to induce ODC was reduced. Both TPA-dependent and developmental increases in mouse brain ODC activity were significantly reduced by intracisternal injection of retinoic acid (RA). The efficacy of TPA in elevating ODC activity at postnatal ages 1–220 days-old was independent of both soluble- and particulate-associated TPA receptor concentration. These observations suggest that although TPA receptor activation may be an obligatory event in ODC induction, TPA receptor activation and its concentration per se, are not sufficient determinants for ODC induction and tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the endogenous mechanism of ODC induction is distinct from that of the TPA-dependent increase in ODC enzyme activity.

Mechanism of hepatic ornithine decarboxylase induction by the ornithine decarboxylase-inducing factor isolated from tumor ascites fluid: determination of target cells for the factor in the liver.

The effect of the ODC-factor, which was partially purified from ascites fluid of mice bearing Ehrlich ascites hepatoma, on DNA synthesis in the normal mouse liver and spleen was studied, and target cells for the factor in the liver were examined. DNA synthesis in the liver increased about 4-fold over the basal level 39-42 h after the increase of ODC activity induced by injection of the factor into normal mice. This increase of DNA synthesis was inhibited by repeated injection of DAPol. The inhibition was completely reversed by the administration of an appropriate amount of putrescine at about the same time. TK activity also increased in parallel with DNA synthesis. Normal mice with and without treatment with the factor were used to examine which cell population in the liver is the real target for the factor. The livers were dispersed and three cell populations (heavy, medium, and light) were separated by centrifugation. The heavy and light cell populations were characterized as mature hepatocytes and a cell population consisting mainly of immature hepatocytes and non-hepatocytes by analysis of marker enzymes, pyruvate kinase isozymes, L and M2, respectively. The factor stimulated ODC induction, with concomitant increases in TK and DNA poly activities and DNA synthesis, most effectively in the light cell fraction followed in order by the medium and heavy fractions. A nutritional factor (a high protein diet), which is a potent inducer of liver ODC, appeared to act on liver in a different way from the ODC-factor, judging from the results of studies of both whole liver and the fractionated cell system described above. Autoradiography of [3H]thymidine incorporation into liver cells showed that DNA synthesis in mature hepatocytes as well as nonhepatocytes was enhanced by injection of the factor. Stimulation of non-hepatocytes seems to be suggestive evidence that an immunologic response of mice might be developed by the factor. In fact, ODC activity, DNA synthesis, and DNA poly activity (but not TK) in the spleen significantly increased in response to the factor and their increments were suppressed by DAPol, though less sensitively than those in the light cell fraction of the liver.

Role of serotonin in the apomorphine-induced increase of adrenomedullary ornithine decar☐ylase activity

The role of serotonin in the regulation of adrenomedullary ornithine decar☐ylase (ODC) activity has been explored in rats after systemic administration of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) and intraventricular 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine (DHT) or in animals with electrolytic lesions of the medial and dorsal raphe nuclei. None of the treatments produced any alteration in endogenous ODC activity. However, all except lesion of the dorsal raphe nucleus significantly potentiated the induction of adrenomedullary ODC produced by apomorphine (APM) administration. It is suggested that serotonergic fibers originating partly in the medial raphe nucleus exert a tonic inhibitory action over the APM-induced increase in adrenomedullary ODC activity.

Elevated ornithine decarboxylase activity in the rat liver following exposure to halothane, enflurane and isoflurane

Exposure of rats to the volatile anesthetics, halothane, enflurane and isoflurane and low FIO 2 (0.8%) for two hours results in a transient induction of ODC appearing maximally four hours after exposure. Without the low oxygen accompanying the anesthetic or the low oxygen alone, no significant induction of ODC occurred. The concentration of anesthetic used to produce the ODC induction were 0.5% halothane, 1.5% enflurane and 1.4% isoflurane. Except for halothane, reducing the anesthetic concentration only slightly reduced the effect on ODC levels to control values. Reduction of halothane concentrations to 0.1% was required to reduce the values to control levels. Pretreatment of the animals with either cycloheximide or actinomycin D delayed the onset of ODC induction. The data support the fact that liver damage can occur in the absence of metabolism of the drug.

The induction of ornithine decarboxylase by tumor promoting phorbol ester analogues in Reuber H35 hepatoma cells

The induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity was studied in a rat hepatoma cell line (Reuber H35) incubated with a group of structurally-related phorbol ester analogues. A single application of 1.6 μM of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to H35 cells caused a dramatic increase in the activity of ornithine decarboxylase. The stimulation of the enzyme activity was rapid but transient, peaking at 4 to 5 hr with a value which was 116-fold greater than control and then declining to the basal level after 8 hr. In addition, the increase in ODC activity was dependent upon the concentration of TPA added to the culture medium and the EC 50 was estimated to be about 2.63 × 10 −7 M. Our studies of the effect of various phorbol ester analogues on the H35 ODC activity indicated an apparent correlation between the ability of phorbol ester derivatives to induce ODC activity in the H35 cells and their activity to promote papilloma formation in the mouse skin in that the various derivatives possessed the following relative abilities to increase ODC activity: TPA > PDB > PDA > 4 α-P > 4 α-PDD. Concurrent addition of either actinomycin D or cycloheximide abolished the increase in ODC activity after TPA treatment. Changes of intracellular concentrations of polyamines, particularly putrescine, were in good agreement with the increase in ODC activity in response to TPA: a 10-fold increase in putrescine over the control level was observed at 6 hr. Our data suggest that cultured Reuber H35 hepatoma cells exhibit a marked and specific response to the phorbol ester tumor promoters and may be of great value in studying the biochemical mechanism of ODC induction by these agents.

Effects of parathyroid hormone and cyclic AMP analogues on the activity of ornithine decarboxylase and expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes in culture

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) greatly increased the level of adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in rabbit costal chondrocytes in culture 2 minutes after its addition. PTH, as well as N6 O2' dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and 8 Bromo adenosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (8 Br-cAMP) induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC; L-ornithine carboxylyase; EC 4.1.1.17), which reached a maximum 4 hours after their addition. Neither cAMP, N6 O2' dibutyryl guanosine 3', 5' cyclic monophosphate (DBcGMP), nor sodium butyrate increased the activity of the enzyme. PTH had no effect on DNA synthesis, while DBcAMP and 8 Br-cAMP decreased DNA synthesis. Expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes in culture was also induced by PTH, DBcAMP, and 8 Br-cAMP, but not by cAMP, DBcGMP, or sodium butyrate, as judged by morphological change. Glycosaminoglycan synthesis, a characteristic of the cartilage phenotype, began to increase 8 hours after addition of PTH or DBcAMP, reaching a plateau 32 hours after their addition. These findings suggest that PTH induces increase of ODC activity and expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes through increase of cAMP and that induction of OCD is closely related to expression of the differentiated phenotype of chondrocytes.

Changes in epidermal polyamine biosynthesis and specific activity of DNA following a single application of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate to hairless mouse skin.

A single application of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to hairless mouse skin induces increased activity of epidermal L-ornithine carboxy-lyase (E.C.4.1.1.17) (ODC) with a peak at 5 h, and S-adenosyl-L-methionine carboxy-lyase (E.C.4.1.1.50) (SAM-D) with a broad peak at 20-36 h. The temporal sequence of the accumulation of polyamines; i.e. putrescine, spermidine and spermine, and the rate of DNA synthesis was investigated. All four parameters were measured in the same tissue-samples and multiple peaks of DNA synthesis and of individual polyamines were demonstrated. In the period from 0-12 h, there was an initial decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis. In this period changes in the molar ratio of spermidine/spermine were negatively correlated to the rate of DNA synthesis. From 12-48 h, however, changes in the molar ratio of spermidine/spermine had an almost identical time course with rates of change of DNA synthesis. Based on corresponding cell kinetic results it is suggested that the spermidine/spermine ratio reaches a maximum peak during the S-phase of the cell cycle. The relation between the rate of DNA-synthesis and the spermidine/spermine ratio as well as the ordered time sequence for the accumulation of putrescine and the induction of ODC and SAM-D activities, suggest a strong interdependence and a strict regulation of these events in hairless mouse epidermis induced to proliferate by TPA.