Induced erythroleukemia differentiation: cellular and molecular aspects.

MELC may be induced to terminal erythroid differentiation by HMBA and other agents. Although the mechanism is not known, changes in cell function and gene expression can be identified during an early "latent" period, prior to commitment to terminal differentiation. These include a decrease in diacylglycerol concentration and in Ca+2 and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C activity, accompanied by suppression of c-myb and c-myc gene transcription, a fall in p53 protein, and an increase in c-fos mRNA. Commitment is first detected by 12 hours and is associated with persistent suppression of c-myb gene transcription. Transcription of the erythroid-specific genes, alpha 1 and beta maj globin, is increased 10- to 30-fold, whereas synthesis of rRNA is suppressed, and there is activation or suppression of a number of additional genes that remain to be characterized. The potential regulatory roles of changes in protein kinase C activity and in proto-oncogene expression in initiating and sustaining the process of differentiation also remain to be elucidated.