title: Retinoic acid-induced expression of CD38 antigen in myeloid cells is mediated through retinoic acid receptor-alpha.
abstract: CD38 is a leukocyte differentiation antigen that has been thought to be a phenotypic marker of different subpopulations of T- and B-lymphocytes. In myeloid cells, CD38 is expressed during early stages of differentiation. Virtually no information is available on regulation and functions of CD38. Recently we reported that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is a potent and highly specific inducer of CD38 expression in human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Here we report that ATRA-induced expression of CD38 antigen in myeloid cells is mediated through retinoic acid-alpha receptor (RAR alpha). ATRA failed to induce CD38 expression in a mutant subclone of the HL-60 myeloid leukemia cell line (designated HL-60R) that is relatively resistant to ATRA-induced granulocytic differentiation. Retroviral vector-mediated transduction of RA receptor (RAR alpha) into this HL-60R subclone completely restored the sensitivity of these cells to ATRA in terms of their ability to express CD38. In contrast, CD38 expression was not inducible by ATRA in HL-60R cells, transfected with a functional RAR beta, RAR gamma, or RXR alpha receptor. Induction of CD38 in acute promyelocytic and acute myeloblastic leukemia cells was independent of ATRA-induced cytodifferentiation. Following culture with ATRA, increased CD38 protein levels were also observed in normal CD34+ bone marrow cells, but not on normal circulating granulocytes. From these results, we conclude that CD38 is ATRA inducible in myeloid leukemia cells and normal CD34+ bone marrow cells. This effect is independent of differentiation and is mediated by RAR alpha in HL-60 cells, suggesting a similar role for RAR alpha in CD38 expression in other hematopoietic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drach
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McQueen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreeff
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malavasi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002999:Clone Cells; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014212:Tretinoin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D036541:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate