Exogenous PML/RARα Fusion Gene Responds to All-trans Retinoic Acid Results in Differentiation of the Human B Cell Line

Abstract

The interaction of an exogenous PML/RARα fusion gene, associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia, with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was examined in B-lymphoid cell lines. RPMI8866 cells were transfected with PML/RARα cDNA in the expression vector pGD and two stable transformants (RPMI8866Y-4 and RPMI8866Y-17) were established by selection with G418. ATRA inhibited the growth of those stable transformants, as assessed by [³H]-thymidine incorporation, but had no effect on the growth of control cells stably transformed with neomycin resistant gene alone. ATRA also increased expression of CD38 and immunoglobulin production in RPMI8866Y-4 cells but not in control cells. When these results are taken together, it can be observed that the exogenous PML/RARα fusion gene responds to ATRA, which results in cell differentiation of the human B cell line.

Keywords:

• Exogenous PML/RARα gene
• ATRA
• B-lymphocytes
• differentiation