title: Proteomic differentiation pattern in the U937 cell line.
abstract: The U937 cell line, originally established from a histiocytic lymphoma, has been widely used as a powerful in vitro model for haematological studies. These cells retain the immature cell phenotype and can be induced to differentiate by several factors, among which 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA). Fully differentiated cells acquire the adherent phenotype and exhibit various properties typical of macrophages. However, in spite of a great deal of research devoted to the U937 cellular model, the molecular basis of biological processes involved in the monocyte/macrophage differentiation remains unclear. The present study has been undertaken to contribute to this knowledge, in order to identify proteomic-based differentiation pattern for the U937 cells exposed to TPA. Present results have highlighted that the U937 cell differentiation is correlated with a significant proteomic modulation, corresponding to about 30% of the identified proteins, including both over- and down-regulated proteins. Negative modulation regarded proteins involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and in metabolic processes. Proteins appearing incremented in macrophagic phenotype include calcium- and phospholipid-binding proteins and several proteins related to the phagocytic activity. Conclusively, we suggest that this new set of differentially expressed proteins may represent meaningful myelo-monocytic differentiation markers to be applied to the study of several haematological diseases.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Applicazioni Cliniche, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Minafra
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Cara
authors.forename: Nadia Ninfa
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cancemi
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate