DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE-INDUCED DIFFERENTIATION OF FRIEND-ERYTHROLEUKEMIA CELLS IN THE ABSENCE OF CYTOKINESIS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (10) , 4058-4063
Abstract
Friend [mouse] erythroleukemia cells grown in culture and induced to differentiate along the erythroid development pathway by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were used as a model system to investigate the requirement for cellular replication to express a differentiated erythroid phenotype. Cytokinesis is not essential for DMSO-induced erythroid differentiation as measured by the synthesis and accumulation of Hb. Hb accumulated in Friend cells treated simultaneously with DMSO and cytochalasin B; such treatment caused cells to become enlarged and multinucleated due to inhibition of cytokinesis by cytochalasin B. Exposure of cells to cytochalasin B for at least 48 h prior to DMSO caused significant inhibition of erythroid differentiation. Cellular division and, thereby, the production of new cellular types apparently are not required for gene activation and the expression of an erythroid phenotype. These effects of cytochalasin B on DMSO-induced differentiation of Friend leukemia cells also suggest plasma membrane-cytoskeleton involvement in the initiation of the erythroid maturation process in this system.