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. 1990 May;10(5):2154–2163. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.5.2154

Retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells is mediated directly through the retinoic acid receptor (RAR-alpha).

S J Collins 1, K A Robertson 1, L Mueller 1
PMCID: PMC360563  PMID: 1970118

Abstract

Retinoic acid (RA) induces terminal granulocytic differentiation of the HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cell line as well as certain other human myeloid leukemias. Specific RA receptors that are members of the steroid-thyroid hormone superfamily of nuclear transcription factors have recently been identified. We developed an HL-60 subclone that was relatively resistant to RA-induced differentiation. Specific nuclear RA receptors in this RA-resistant subclone had a decreased affinity for RA and exhibited a lower molecular weight compared with nuclear RA receptors from the RA-sensitive parental HL-60 cells. Retroviral vector-mediated transduction of a single copy of the RA receptor (RAR-alpha) into this RA-resistant HL-60 subclone restored the sensitivity of these cells to RA. These observations indicate that RAR-alpha plays a critical and central role in mediating RA-induced terminal differentiation of HL-60 leukemia cells.

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Selected References

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