VARIANTS OF A HUMAN MONOCYTIC LEUKEMIA-CELL LINE (THP-1) - INDUCTION OF DIFFERENTIATION BY RETINOIC ACID, INTERFERON-GAMMA, AND LYMPHOCYTE-T-DERIVED DIFFERENTIATION-INDUCING ACTIVITY

  • 1 July 1986
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 77  (1) , 21-27
Abstract
Induction of terminal differentiation of two variant sublines derived from the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 by all-trans-.beta.-retinoic acid (RA) was studied. One of the variants was approximately 10 times more resistant to RA and the other, approximately 10 times more sensitive than the parent THP-1. Differentiation of the RA-resistant variant could be induced by immune interferon (IFN-.gamma.) and a T-lymphocyte-derived lymphokine of a differentiation-inducing activity (DIA), alone or in combination with 10 nM RA. These induced cells showed many of functional monocyte and/or macrophage characteristics, such as superoxide anion production, phagocytosis, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. RA suppressed the expression of Fc receptors, phagocytosis, and 5''-nucleotidase activity of the resistant cells, although not the expression of the sensitive variant. These results indicate that RA-resistant cells can be fully induced to differentiate by the combination of RA and IFN-.gamma. or DIA.