Synchronization of mammalian cells by Lovastatin

Lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary coenzyme A reductase activity, is used to treat hypercholesteremia by inhibiting the synthesis of mevalonate. We report here, that Lovastatin can also be used in vitro to arrest mammalian cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Lovastatin provides a simple method for obtaining large quantities of synchronous cells in most mammalian cells examined to date with minimal overall metabolic perturbations. Furthermore, Lovastatin can be used for synchronizing normal as well as tumor cells at a specific phase of the cell cycle reversibly and without causing cytotoxicity. Cells arrested by Lovastatin can be released to enter the cell cycle synchronously by the addition of mevalonate. In some cell types synchrony can be followed for multiple cycles allowing the study of events that occur in mid to late cycles.