Modification of membrane phospholipid composition by choline analogues induces differentiation of cultured mouse myeloid leukemia cells.

Mouse myeloid leukemia M1 cells could be induced by various inducers to form Fc receptors, phagocytize, produce lysozyme, and change into forms that were morphologically similar to macrophages and granulocytes. Previous experiments showed that change in phospholipid metabolism was associated with cell differentiation. In the present experiment, culture of M1 cells with choline analogs such as N-monomethyl-ethanolamine and N,N'-dimethylethanolamine resulted in accumulation of phosphatidyl-N-monomethyl-ethanolamine and phosphatidyl-N,N'-dimethylethanolamine in the cell membranes. This change upon treatment with choline analogs was associated with morphological and functional differentiation of the M1 cells into macrophages and granulocytes. These results suggest that phospholipid metabolism is involved in the mechanism of differentiation of M1 cells.