The SCL protein displays cell-specific heterogeneity in size.

SCL protein production was examined in a variety of hemopoietic cell lines by immunoblotting using specific polyclonal antisera. SCL protein was detected in erythroid, megakaryocyte, mast and early myeloid cell lines, as well as in several lymphoid leukemia cell lines which are known to harbor SCL gene rearrangements. In most cell lines, proteins of molecular weight 49 and 44 kDa were found, however two myeloid cell lines expressed only lower molecular weight species of 24 and 22 kDa. This size discrepancy appeared to be due to cell-specific translational regulation, since overexpression of a retrovirally transfected SCL gene yielded the higher molecular weight forms in most cell lines (GP+E-86, AT2.5, M1) but only the 22 kDa form in the myeloid cell line, WEHI-3B/D+. Overexpression of full-length SCL protein in the lymphoid cell lines, SupT1 and Raji, did not alter cell phenotype and there was no evidence for autoregulation of SCL transcription. The restricted pattern of SCL protein synthesis is consistent with the restricted expression of SCL mRNA documented previously. In addition, the present results indicate that SCL protein size was determined by regulation of translation in a cell-specific manner.