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Amino Acids Associated with DNA of Tumors^{1 ,2}

Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research and Sloan-Kettering Division of Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York 10021

The quantity of amino acids firmly bound to the DNA of a variety of tumors and normal tissues was determined. The DNA from rodent tumors contains 5.4–30 µmoles/100 mg in contrast to 0.8–5.6 in the host tissues. Similar observations were made with human tissues. In a small series of tumors, there were more amino acids in the DNA from the more malignant tumors. There is no correlation between amounts of amino acids and growth rates of tumors, but DNA from regenerating liver has more than that from normal liver. Not only are the total amounts different in tumors, but the relative amounts also differ. Tumor DNA contains less of the basic amino acids. Most striking is the observation that an unusual substance chromatographically similar to the aromatic amino acids appears in a small number of tumors and in normal gastric tissue. This compound is not found in the proteins of these same tissues. It is possible that these amino acid residues are related to function of the DNA.

¹ A preliminary report of part of this work has been presented (12).

² This investigation was supported in part by Grant CA-08748 from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USPHS, and by a grant from the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research, Inc.

Received 8/17/67. Accepted 11/24/67.