Activation of normal genes in malignant cells: activation of chemotaxis in relation to other stages of normal differentiation in myeloid leukemia.

Genetically differerent clones of myeloid leukemic cells have been used to study the activation of normal genes in these malignant cells by the normal physiological inducer of myeloid cell differentiation, the protein MGI. In appropriate clones, MGI induced the normal differentiation-associated property of chemotaxis to a variety of compounds including the steroid hormone dexamethasone. The induced cells could also distinguish among different steroids by chemotaxis, suggesting that there are specific membrane interaction sites for steroids. The sequence of differentiation in these cells was the formation of C3 and Fc rosettes leads to phagocytosis of these rosettes and chemotaxis leads to synthesis and secretion of lysozyme leads to mature macrophages or granulocytes. The use of appropriate mutants and the comparison of induction by MGI and dexamethasone has shown that chemotaxis to casein can be dissociated from: chemotaxis to dexamethasone, ATP, and bacterial factor; formation of C3 or Fc rosettes; phagocytosis of these rosettes; synthesis of lysozyme; and the formation of mature cells. It is suggested from this dissection of normal differentiation that there are different membrane changes for specific chemotaxis, formation of these rosettes, and their phagocytosis, and that induction of each of these properties requires activation of different genes.