Somatic cell hybrid analyses of hematopoietic differentiation.

A differentiated cell expresses an entire set of specialized features. Somatic cell hybridization provides a method to examine control of gene regulation. We studied the expression of tissue-specific features in hybrids between human promyelocytes (HL-60) and human Burkitt's lymphoma cells (P3HR-1). Two hybrid lines, HP-1 and HP-2, and 18 hybrid clones were established and confirmed by karyotype, isozyme, and surface antigen analyses. The hybrids extinguished the 10 myeloid (HL-60) features that we examined including myeloid morphology, histochemistry, and functions that included response to colony-stimulating factor and ability to differentiate to granulocytes or macrophages. In contrast, the hybrids synthesized immunoglobulin and expressed Epstein-Barr nuclear, early, and viral capsid antigens similar to the P3HR-1 lymphoid parental line. Results are contrasted to the findings when P3HR-1 lymphocytes are fused to human erythroid-myeloid cells (K562). Taken together, our results suggest that phenotypic differences between human myeloid and lymphoid cells in the hematopoietic lineage involve mutually exclusive programs and may possibly be mediated by the activity of diffusible, transacting molecules.