Preproenkephalin mRNA in T-cells, macrophages, and mast cells.

The presence of preproenkephalin mRNA in tumor cell lines derived from myeloid and mast cells was analyzed by RNA dot blot hybridization. A B-cell lymphoma was negative for preproenkephalin mRNA, but several T-cell lymphomas were positive. A mastocytoma and two macrophage cell lines were found to have high levels of preproenkephalin mRNA. Purified natural macrophages and mast cells also possessed easily detectable levels of this mRNA.