title: Importance of MEK-1/-2 signaling in monocytic and granulocytic differentiation of myeloid cell lines.
abstract: Activation of the MEK/ERK/MAP kinase signaling pathway promotes the proliferation and survival of hematopoietic cells. The kinases MEK-1, MEK-2, ERK-1/MAPK and ERK-2/MAPK are activated by phosphorylation at specific sites, and these events can be monitored using phospho-specific antibodies. In this report we examined the importance of the MEK/ERK/MAP kinase pathway in the monocytic and granulocytic differentiation of myeloid cell lines. Induction of monocytic differentiation in HL-60 cells by treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) led to rapid and sustained activation of MEK-1/-2, ERK-1/MAPK and ERK-2/MAPK, while induction of granulocytic differentiation by retinoic acid (RA) caused similar activation of MEK-1/-2 and ERK-2/MAPK, but not ERK-1/MAPK. The total levels of these kinases were not affected during the course of differentiation along either pathway. Pretreatment of cells with 5 microM of the MEK-1/-2-specific inhibitor U0126 abrogated PMA- or RA-induced activation of ERK-1/MAPK and ERK-2/MAPK. Importantly, pretreatment of HL-60 cells with U0126 was found to potently inhibit both monocytic and granulocytic differentiation, as assessed by cytochemical staining for non-specific esterase or nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, flow cytometric analysis of myeloid surface markers, and immunoblotting for the cell cycle inhibitor p21 WAF1/Cip1. Similar results were seen in U937 cells, where U0126 inhibited PMA-induced monocytic differentiation, and in 32D cells, where G-CSF-induced granulocytic differentiation was inhibited by U0126 pretreatment. Additional experiments revealed that inhibition of MEK-1/-2 in HL-60 cells resulted in nearly complete inhibition of differentiation-induced cell death during monocytic differentiation. By contrast, U0126 only partially inhibited cell death resulting from granulocytic differentiation. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the MEK/ERK/MAP kinase signaling pathway is activated, and plays a critical role, during both monocytic and granulocytic differentiation of myeloid cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582, USA.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000473:pathology*; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D048370:MAP Kinase Kinase 2; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002070:Butadienes; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126; D014212:Tretinoin; C482128:MAP2K2 protein, human; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D048370:MAP Kinase Kinase 2; C482125:MAP2K1 protein, human; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate