Prohibitin expression is increased in phorbol ester-treated chronic leukemic B-lymphocytes.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the gradual accumulation of immature B-lymphocytes. CLL B-lymphocytes mature to a plasmacytoid phenotype when treated in vitro with phorbol esters. CLL B-cell apparent maturation is associated with altered expression of specific plasma membrane and mitochondrial proteins including heightened expression of a 30-kDa heat shock protein 60 (hsp60) analog. During our efforts to further characterize this hsp60 analog by mass spectrometry, we detected the mitochondrial protein prohibitin in phorbol-ester-matured CLL B-lymphocytes. Prohibitin modulates cell proliferation and inhibits cell cycle traverse in several systems, although few data are available for lymphocytes. A twofold increase in prohibitin concentration was observed in phorbol-ester-matured compared to resting CLL B-cells as determined by quantitative Western immunoblot analysis. A similar increase in prohibitin was observed in phorbol-ester-treated normal human B-lymphocyte populations. An antisense oligonucleotide complementary to the 5' coding region of the prohibitin gene blunted the increase in prohibitin protein in phorbol-ester-treated CLL B-cells by 42%. These data suggest that increased prohibitin expression is associated with and may facilitate B-cell maturation. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.