Hormonal effects on cell proliferation in a human erythroleukemia cell line (K562)

We have investigated the hormonal responsiveness of K562 cells using a serum-substituted in vitro clonogenic assay. Dexamethasone inhibited colony formation by the K562 cells, and the inhibitory effect could be reversed by progesterone (10(-6) M). Fluoxymesterone caused a prominent enhancement of K562 colony growth, whereas estriol had no effect. Stimulation by triiodothyronine was maximal at 10(-7) M, and the thyroid effect could be abrogated by the beta 2-adrenergic antagonist butoxamine in equimolar concentrations. Using standard tissue culture conditions, the beta-adrenergic agent isoproterenol, but not the alpha catecholamine phenylephrine, enhanced the proliferation of K562 cells. When K562 cells were grown under hormone-depleted conditions, they developed responsiveness to phenylephrine and were no longer stimulated by isoproterenol. DbcAMP and prostaglandins of the E series also caused K562 colony enhancement. Prostaglandin F2 alpha had no effect on cell proliferation. Insulin was an effective stimulant of colony formation of K562 cells, as were human growth hormone and ovine prolacin. Bovine growth hormone had no effect. Our results are consistent with the identificaiton of K562 as an erythroid line, and they indicate that K562 cells respond to endocrine hormones in a manner analogous to normal erythroid progenitors.     

Induction and properties of beta-adrenergic receptors during erythroid differentiation of Friend leukemic cells.

beta-Adrenergic receptors on Friend erythroleukemic cells were identified by the use of 125I-labeled hydroxybenzylpindolol, a potent beta-adrenergic antagonist. Binding of this ligand was saturable and stereospecific. The relative orders of potency of isoproterenol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine to displace bound hydroxybenzylpindolol indicate that the Friend cells have beta 2-adrenergic receptors. After culture for 6 days in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide or hexamethylene bisacetamide, both undifferentiated and differentiated cells have a similar number of receptors (1500 per cell), but the density of beta receptors on the cell surface increases during the process of erythroid differentiation. Incubation of the Friend cells for 24 hr with high concentrations of butyric acid, dimethyl sulfoxide, or hexamethylenebisacetamide resulted in a striking increase of th number of beta-catecholamine receptors. The induction of beta-adrenergic receptors also occurred in the presence of the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate and dexamethasone.     

Thyroid Hormones Stimulate Erythropoiesis in Vitro

Thyroid hormones have important effects on erythropoiesis in man and animals. We performed in vitro culture studies with murine and human bone marrow in order to define the interaction of these hormones with erythroid and granulocyte-monocyte progenitor cells. The methylcellulose clonogenic assay was used with the appropriate addition of erythropoietin or colony-stimulating activity. L-Thyroxine, D-thyroxine and L-triiodothyronine potentiated erythropoietin-stimulated erythroid colony formation in concentrations of 50–100 ng/ml. These hormones had no effect on granulocyte-monocyte colony formation at concentrations up to 500 ng/ml. Testing of various thyroid analogues showed no clear correlation between potentiation of erythropoiesis and known calorigenic potency. Reverse triiodothyronine also had potentiating activity in this system. The active thyroid hormones stimulated erythroid colony formation at several concentrations of erythropoietin but could not substitute for erythropoietin. These data suggest that thyroid hormones have a direct effect on erythroid precursor proliferative capacity, a finding which may have relevance to the mechanism of erythropoietic dysfunction in human thyroid disease.     

L-triiodothyronine augments erythropoietic growth factor release from peripheral blood and bone marrow leukocytes

To investigate cellular mechanisms involved in thyroid hormone stimulation of erythropoiesis, we studied the response of erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E) proliferation to L-triiodothyronine (L-T3) in a serum-free culture system. When added directly to culture, L-T3 stimulates erythroid burst formation by normal human bone marrow cells. In contrast, granulocyte-macrophage colony formation is unaffected. Enhancement of erythroid burst formation by L-T3 required the presence of nylon wool adherent and/or B-4 antigen-positive light-density marrow populations. Addition of other erythropoietic factors including platelet-derived growth factor and insulinlike growth factor II did not abrogate this apparent cellular requirement. Pulse exposure of marrow and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (greater than 95% lymphocytes) to L-T3 accelerates the release of a soluble factor that augments BFU-E proliferation into serum-free liquid culture medium. Time-course studies show that this factor appears in conditioned medium (CM) coincidentally with erythroid burst-promoting activity (BPA). Furthermore, incubation of CM with an antibody known to react with and adsorb BPA from solution removes the inducible mitogen. Biochemical analysis of CM prepared from unexposed and L-T3 pulse-exposed cells indicates that the rate of protein appearance is accelerated by L-T3 in a fashion that immediately precedes growth factor release and that several polypeptides are quantitatively increased. We conclude that unlike erythropoietin, which is mitogenic for progenitor cells directly, L-T3 enhances BFU-E proliferation indirectly by augmenting the release of soluble BPA-like molecules from accessory cells in culture.     

Nuclear protein kinase C activity is decreased in Friend erythroleukemia cells induced to differentiate.

Although it is well known that protein kinase C (PKC) is an important signaling molecule in Friend erythroleukemia cells it is not clear what role PKC may play in either regulated or unregulated erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a decrease in nuclear PKC activity is associated with the induction of differentiation in Friend erythroleukemia cells. The effects of staurosporine, a selective inhibitor of PKC, and the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, an activator of PKC, on Friend cell proliferation and differentiation were examined. Neither the inhibitor nor the activator of PKC affected proliferation at 96 h as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, but both compounds inhibited cell differentiation. In addition, nuclear PKC activity was highest in untreated and in tumor promoter-treated cells that were not differentiated, and it was lowest in cells induced to differentiate with hexamethylene bisacetamide or dimethylsulfoxide. It is concluded that nuclear PKC activity is essential for Friend erythroleukemia cell proliferation, and that a decrease in enzyme activity within the nucleus is associated with differentiation.     

Inhibition of the growth and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells by an endotoxin-induced mediator from peritoneal macrophages.

Conditioned medium from cultures of mouse macrophages incubated with endotoxin in a serum-free medium contains an inhibitor of the growth and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells of mouse Friend virus-transformed erythroleukemia cells. Endotoxin itself has no inhibitory effect. The endotoxin-induced macrophage mediator inhibits the growth and differentiation of dimethyl sulfoxide-, hexamethylenebisacetamide-, butyric acid-, and hypoxanthine-induced cells but has no effect on hemin-induced cells. The conditioned medium has its maximal inhibitory effect on committed erythroid precursor cells, a decreased effect on uncommitted stem cells, and no effect on fully differentiated erythroid cells. These results demonstrate that endotoxin stimulation of macrophages leads to the production of a humoral factor(s) which is critical for the growth and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells.     

Production of erythropoietin-like activity by a murine erythroleukemia cell line.

A transplantable murine leukemia, primarily induced by a biologically cloned Friend helper virus, was shown to induce polycythemia in recipient ICFW mice. A leukemia cell line (IW.32) was established in vitro from this transplantable leukemia. Sodium butyrate and hemin induced erythroid differentiation in these leukemia cells as has already been shown with other erythroleukemia cells. The supernatant of this cell line was devoid of spleen focus-forming virus activity. However, it induced the incorporation of 59Fe in polycythemic mice and the in vitro differentiation of murine and human cfu-e into erythroid colonies. Therefore, these erythroleukemia cells produced a factor with all the biological properties of erythropoietin. The erythropoietic activity of IW.32 supernatant was higher in vitro [equivalent to 0.5-1 international unit (IU) of erythropoietin per ml] than in vivo (0.15-0.3 IU/ml). This erythropoietin-like activity was stable at 100 degrees C for 3 min, which ruled out the possibility that a virus was responsible for these effects. Preliminary studies demonstrated that the biochemical properties of the IW.32 factor are strongly similar to those of Connaught step 3 erythropoietin, thus supporting the hypothesis that the IW.32 factor is indeed an erythropoietin.     

Studies on the target cell for the friend virus (FV-P strain) using the CFU-E Technique

Summary In order to characterize the target cell for the polycythemia inducing Friend virus (FV-P) in vivo, mice were treated by induction of plethorism, bleeding, Actinomycin D, and Busulfan before virus infection. The development of the Friend leukemia was then studied mainly using the CFU_E technique for erythroid colony growth in vitro. This technique allows the quantification of a new cell type, an erythropoietin (Ep) independent colony forming cell. These Ep independent colonies were taken as marker for the disease. Their number with time after infection was correlated with the compartment size of pluripotent, granuloid committed and erythroid stem cells at the time of infection. The results indicate that the development of the Friend leukemia does not require the actual presence of CFU_E, as seen using Actinomycin D, and is not correlated with the number of pluripotent or granuloid stem cells, as seen after Busulfan. It is, however, dependent on the erythropoietic state of the animal, as seen in plethoric mice and mice after bleeding. It is, therefore, concluded that the target cell for FV-P is located within the Ep-responsive cell compartment, between early (BFU_E) and late (CFU_E) erythroid precursor cells.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB 112, Zellsystemphysiologie) and the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk.     

Human leukemia cell line K562 responds to erythroid-potentiating activity

We report that erythroid-potentiating activity (EPA), known to stimulate the proliferation of normal human erythroid precursors in vitro, has a growth-promoting effect on human K562 erythroleukemia cells and Friend mouse erythroleukemia cells. Detailed studies were carried out using an EPA produced by a human T-lymphoblast line (Mo). Although EPA has not been purified to homogeneity, several observations indicate that the factor elaborated by Mo cells that stimulates erythroleukemia cell growth is the EPA molecule. The erythroleukemia growth factor cofractionates with EPA using gel exclusion chromatography, isoelectric focusing, and ion exchange chromatography. In addition, the activities exhibit similar kinetics of heat inactivation. A granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor also elaborated by Mo cells had no effect on the growth of the erythroleukemia cells. Other sources of EPA, such as peripheral blood leukocyte-conditioned medium, preparations from urine of anemic patients, and medium conditioned by a human monocyte-like cell line, stimulated erythroleukemia cell growth. Mouse sources of EPA (termed "burst-promoting activity") stimulated mouse but not human erythroleukemia cells. The availability of cell lines apparently responsive to EPA should prove useful for examining the mode of action of this regulator of erythropoiesis.     

Protection of retrovirus-induced disease by transplantation of bone marrow cells transduced with MuLV env gene via retrovirus vector

Fv-4 is a mouse gene that dominantly confers resistance to infection by ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV). We have demonstrated previously that bone marrow chimeras in which hematopoietic cells were replaced with cells expressing Fv-4 resistant (Fv-4r) gene product became refractory to Friend leukemia virus (FLV)-induced leukemogenesis. To induce in vivo resistance against retrovirus-induced diseases by retroviral vector-mediated gene transduction, we introduced Fv-4 env gene into bone marrow cells of FLV-susceptible C3H/He (C3H) mice with retroviral vector (pLSF) derived from murine Friend spleen focus forming virus (SFFV) and the cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated C3H mice. After the bone marrow transplantation, Fv-4r gene product was successfully expressed on erythroid and myeloid cells, while lymphoid cells were only weakly expressing Fv-4r gene product. The C3H mice expressing relatively higher amounts of Fv-4r gene product were rendered resistant to FLV-induced erythroleukemia, while mice expressing lower amounts of the Fv-4r gene product were still susceptible. Effective protection of FLV-induced leukemia in these mice suggested that the Fv-4r gene expression by erythroid cells that were the major target of FLV infection might be critical for resisting FLV-induced leukemia. Thus, gene therapy model by transducing Fv-4r env gene using bone marrow transplantation would provide a useful protection model system of retrovirus-induced diseases.     

Influence of the beta-adrenergic receptor concentration on functional coupling to the adenylate cyclase system.

Only part of the beta-adrenergic receptors can undergo functional coupling to the adenylate cyclase regulatory unit. This receptor subpopulation shows an increased affinity for agonists in the presence of Mg2+ and undergoes rapid "inactivation" (locking-in of the agonist) by the alkylating reagent N-ethylmaleimide in the presence of agonists. Several experimental conditions, known to modify the total receptor concentration without alteration of the other components of the adenylate cyclase system, do not affect the percentage of receptors that can undergo functional coupling: (i) homologous regulation of beta 1 receptors in rat brain by noradrenaline (through antidepressive drug or reserpine injections); (ii) up- and down-regulation of the beta 2 receptors in Friend erythroleukemia cells by, respectively, sodium butyrate and cinnarizine treatment; and (iii) dithiothreitol-mediated inactivation of receptors in turkey erythrocytes, Friend erythroleukemia cells, and rat brain. Our findings argue against a stoichiometric limitation in the number of regulatory components, genetically different receptor subpopulations, bound guanine nucleotides, or reduced accessibility of part of the receptors to the agonists as the cause for functional receptor heterogeneity. Differences in either the receptor conformation or its membrane microenvironment are more plausible explanations.     

Lessons from models of murine erythroleukemia to acute myeloid leukemia (AML): proof-of-principle of co-operativity in AML

The models of acute erythroleukemia caused in mice by the Friend retrovirus SFFV (spleen focus forming virus) and the Spi-1/PU.1 transgenesis provide considerable information to help to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the multi-stage nature of leukemia. Leukemogenesis in these murine models is initiated from an acute hyperplasia of erythroid progenitor cells followed later on by a blastic crisis. This review highlights recent findings demonstrating the key roles of the co-operation of two mutations occurring during leukemic progression, a mutation interfering with differentiation and a mutation conferring a proliferative advantage to cells. Through their multi-step evolution, these mouse erythroleukemia models resemble the two phases of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The findings we discuss provide evidence for similar molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of leukemia in mice and men.     

Carbonic anhydrase is aberrantly and constitutively expressed in both human and murine erythroleukemia cells.

The levels of the erythrocyte proteins carbonic anhydrase (CA) and hemoglobin (Hb) change coordinately during human ontogeny. To further probe the coordinate gene expression of these two proteins in vitro, we used an immunoblotting technique to measure their levels during erythroid differentiation in normal human and murine erythroid progenitors, in human and murine erythroleukemia cells, and in normal murine erythroid progenitors infected with Friend virus. Levels of CA and Hb seem to gradually increase in normal differentiating stem cells. In contrast, both human and murine erythroleukemia cells show high levels of CA, but not of Hb, prior to induction of differentiation. Friend virus infection of normal murine progenitors appears to stimulate CA synthesis as an initial and integral step in transformation. In addition, both the erythroleukemia cells and the erythroid progenitors transformed with Friend virus seem to contain much higher levels of CA than Hb during the early stages of differentiation. This relationship is in marked contrast to normal erythroid differentiation, in which Hb levels are always higher than CA levels. Thus, neoplastic transformation seems to be associated with aberrant production of CA that does not correspond to a maturation arrest of the normal differentiation sequence.     

Trophoblastic cells of the hydatidiform mole contain a beta 1-subtype adrenergic receptor

Both beta 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptors have been previously described in normal human placental homogenates; the cells upon whose surface membranes these receptors reside have not been identified. In order to show that a beta 1-adrenergic receptor is present on trophoblastic cells, the cells which mediate maternal-fetal transport and produce placental hormones, beta-adrenergic receptors were demonstrated in membrane fractions of human hydatidiform mole. Microscopic sections of the mole samples used demonstrated edematous villi lined by trophoblastic cells with minimal nontrophoblastic (stromal or vascular) contamination compared with placenta. (--)-[3H]Dihydroalprenolol [(--)-[3H]DHA] binding to molar membranes was reversible and saturable to a single class of sites (Kd = 0.97 +/- 0.12 nM; n = 7; maximum binding capacity, 72.9 +/- 6.4 fmol/mg protein). (--)-[3H]DHA binding was associated with catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Agonist competition for the molar beta-adrenergic receptor showed the order of potency to be (--)isoproterenol much greater than norepinephrine = epinephrine, characteristic of a beta 1-adrenergic receptor subtype. Competition for (--)-[3H]DHA binding to trophoblastic membranes by the beta-adrenergic receptor subtype-specific agents metoprolol (beta 1 selective) and zinterol (beta 2 selective) was also characteristic of a homogeneous subtype of beta 1-adrenergic receptors. Because beta 1-adrenergic receptors alone were seen on trophoblast cells, the beta 2-adrenergic receptor in placenta must reside on nontrophoblastic elements (stromal or vascular endothelium). No differences in beta-adrenergic receptor binding were seen related with ploidy (2 or 3 N), the presence or absence of a fetus, or the progression of the mole to choriocarcinoma. Two choriocarcinoma cell lines, BeWo and JEG-3, however, showed no specific (--)-[3H]DHA binding. Human trophoblast contains beta 1-adrenergic receptors coupled to catecholamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase, supporting a role for catecholamines in the regulation of placental metabolism.     

Production of erythroid-potentiating activity by a human T-lymphoblast cell line.

We derived a human T-lymphoblast cell line (Mo) that constitutively elaborates certain lymphokines. The Mo cells produce a colony-stimulating factor necessary for the growth of human granulocyte-monocyte precursors in vitro as well as an erythroid-potentiating activity (EPA) that enhances the proliferation of human erythroid progenitors in vitro. In the presence of serum, the EPA in Mo-conditioned medium stimulated the growth of small and large erythroid colonies almost 2-fold. EPA was also produced in serum-free medium, and, when assayed in serum-free cultures of human erythroid progenitors, it stimulated colony growth about 3-fold. The EPA produced by the Mo cell line did not stimulate normal murine erythroid progenitors (CFU-E) or Friend erythroleukemia cell growth in vitro. EPA was inactivated by protease treatment but was remarkably heat stable, with most of the activity recovered after boiling for 15 min. Preliminary biochemical characterization suggests that EPA is an acidic glycoprotein with molecular weight approximately 45,000. EPA is clearly separable from colony-stimulating factor on the basis of heat stability and gel-filtration chromatography. The present observations provide strong support for the concept that activated T cells produce humoral factors important in the regulation of erythropoiesis. The availability of a cell line producing human EPA should facilitate the characterization of the protein and permit definitive studies of its biologic effects.     

Terminal differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia cells induced by dimethyl sulfoxide and other polar compounds.

A human leukemic cell line (designated HL-60) has recently been established from the peripheral blood leukocytes of a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia. This cell line displays distinct morphological and histochemical commitment towards myeloid differentiation. The cultured cells are predominantly promyelocytes, but the addition of dimethyl sulfoxide to the culture induces them to differentiate into myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and banded and segmented neutrophils. All 150 clones developed from the HL-60 culture show similar morphological differentiation in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide. Unlike the morphologically immature promyelocytes, the dimethyl sulfoxide-induced mature cells exhibit functional maturity as exemplified by phagocytic activity. A number of other compounds previously shown to induce erythroid differentiation of mouse erythroleukemia (Friend) cells can induce analogous maturation of the myeloid HL-60 cells. The marked similarity in behavior of HL-60 cells and Friend cells in the presence of these inducing agents suggests that similar molecular mechanisms are involved in the induction of differentiation of these human myeloid and murine erythroid leukemic cells.     

In vitro interactions of PGE and cAMP with murine and human erythroid precursors

Addition of prostaglandins of the E series (PGE1, PGE2) in methylcellulose cultures of murine marrow results in a dose-dependent inhibition of the cloning efficiency of both BFU-E and CFU-C. However, CFU-E growth is unaffected. The inhibitory action of PGE is progressively overcome by increasing amounts of colony-stimulating factor (CSF), and with some limitations, also of erythropoietin (Ep). Addition of PGF2 alpha' associated or not with indomethacin, does not exert any significant effect on these hemopoietic precursors. In an attempt to unvail the mechanism(s) underlying these phenomena, dibutyryl-cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), theophylline (an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase), or theophylline + PGE were plated at various concentrations. Both db-cAMP and theophylline induce an inhibitory influence on both BFU-E and CFU-C growth, which mimicks that by PGEs; additionally, theophylline potentiates the inhibitory action of PGE1. In all these studies, the CFU-E number was not significantly modified. PGE action on BFU-E proliferation is clearly species-dependent, since PGE1 addition to human marrow methylcellulose cultures induces a significant enhancement of the number of both BFU-E and CFU-E derived colonies. This action was abolished upon removal of adherent cells, thus suggesting that PGE1 evokes a release of factor(s) enhancing human erythroid colony growth by adherent cells.