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Suppression of the Proliferation of Ras-transformed Cells by Fluoromevalonate, an Inhibitor of Mevalonate Metabolism¹

Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75235-8887

Mevalonate is the precursor of a number of different products potentially required for the growth of cells, including the prenylated oncoprotein Ras. To determine whether inhibition of mevalonate metabolism would selectively block proliferation of Ras-transformed cells, 6-fluoromevalonate (Fmev), an inhibitor of diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, was used to block the synthesis of prenyl-derived lipids and prenylated proteins in interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent FDC-P1 cells (control FDC-P1 cells) and FDC-P1 cells transformed with oncogenic Ras (RasDC cells) that proliferated in the absence of IL-3. Fmev completely inhibited synthesis of prenyl-derived lipids and prenylated proteins and blocked proliferation of FDC-P1 and RasDC cells. Restoration of the proliferation of Fmev-blocked FDC-P1 cells required both an exogenous source of cholesterol and prevention of the accumulation of mevalonate and the mevalonate phosphates with lovastatin. In contrast, ongoing IL-3-independent proliferation of Fmev-blocked RasDC cells was not completely restored by providing exogenous cholesterol and preventing the accumulation of inhibitory mevalonate product(s). However, these cells proliferated when cultures were supplemented with IL-3 together with exogenous cholesterol and lovastatin, implying that Fmev had prevented Ras-dependent, IL-3-independent growth. Fmev markedly diminished total cellular Ras in RasDC cells. In contrast, lovastatin depleted membrane-associated Ras and increased cytosolic Ras but did not diminish total cellular Ras. These data indicate that Fmev depletes total cellular Ras and specifically inhibits the autonomous growth of Ras-transformed cells.

¹ This work was supported by Grant CN-108 from the American Cancer Society and Public Health Service Grant AI-17653 from the NIH.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75235-8887.

Received 12/27/94. Accepted 2/13/95.

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