Characterization of a relationship between the T-lymphocyte derived differentiation inducing factor (DIF) and lymphotoxin: a common receptor system for DIF, lymphotoxin and tumor necrosis factor downregulated by phorbol diesters.

Here we describe results which show that recombinant lymphotoxin (rLT), like the T-lymphocyte derived differentiation inducing factor (DIF), inhibited the clonogenic growth of some myeloid leukemia cell lines by concentrations of 1 to 30 pmol/l. Wild type HL-60 cells were resistant at these concentrations but responded with differentiation into monocyte-like cells at higher concentrations. An antigenic relationship between DIF and LT was indicated because a neutralizing monoclonal anti-LT antibody bound to and neutralized both differentiation and growth inhibitory effects of DIF. An activity, which cochromatographed with DIF during all purification steps, competed with binding of both rLT and recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rTNF) to HL-60 cells. By use of radioiodinated ligand, 2100 binding sites for rLT were detected on HL-60 cells with a Kd of 330 pmol/l. At 37 degrees C bound ligand was transferred to lysosomes, followed by degradation. rTNF and rLT were shown to compete for binding sites on HL-60 cells. Receptors for both rLT and rTNF were downregulated by activators of protein kinase C such as phorbol diester or diacylglycerol; the number of cell surface receptors decreased while the Kd remained unchanged. Our observations demonstrate a functional and antigenic relationship between DIF and LT and indicate that TNF, LT and DIF share binding sites on myeloid leukemia cells that are downregulated by activation of protein kinase-C.