Replicative potential and the duration of the cell cycle in human fibroblasts: Coordinate stimulation by epidermal growth factor

The in vitro replicative potential of human diploid fibroblasts can be increased by polypeptide growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF). Also, the cycle time of EGF-stimulated cells is, on average, decreased and their mitotic cell volume is reduced. Therefore, the regulation of cell size by the duration of the cell cycle may be one process which determines replicative potential. The growth response to a continuous presence of EGF, however, appears to be limited by eventual desensitization to the growth factor.