Synchronization of murine erythroleukemic cells. Nuclear volume measurements for monitoring cell cycle traverse

Murine erythroleukemic cells (T3C12 clone) were synchronized either by using two 8-h thymidine (2 mM) blocks separated by a 7-h release period, or by centrifugal elutriation. To monitor the synchrony induction and cell cycle traverse, the cells were lysed with NP40 for 20 min and the resulting nuclei fixed with glutaraldehyde. These nuclear volume measurements were performed with a Coulter Electronics H4 cell volume spectrometer and compared with flow cytometric determinations of nuclear DNA content on a Coulter Electronics TPS-1 cell sorter. The results indicate that the nuclear volume measurements can be used as a simple precise method to monitor the cell cycle position and traverse of synchronized erythroleukemic cells.