Hemin does not cause commitment of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells to
terminal differentiation
JF Gusella, SC Weil, AS Tsiftsoglou, V Volloch, JR Neumann, C Keys and DE Housman
The effect of hemin on the differentiation program of murine
erythroleukemia (MEL) cells has been investigated. While hemin treatment
does induce increased levels of globin mRNA and hemoglobin, it fails to
lead to other biochemical changes associated with MEL cell differentiation
induced by DMSO and thioguanine. These include increased levels of the
nuclear protein IP25 and of the enzyme cytidine deaminase. Clonal analysis
of hemin-treated cells revealed that unlike other inducers, hemin does not
cause a reprogramming of MEL cells to a specific limitation of
proliferative capacity. These observations suggest that hemin differs from
DMSO and thioguanine in that it exerts specific effects on globin
expression in MEL cells without triggering commitment to the terminal
differentiation program.
Volume 56,
Issue 3,
pp. 481-487,
09/01/1980
Copyright © 1980 by The American Society of Hematology