Differentiation of HL-60 cells by phorbol ester is correlated with up-regulation of protein kinase C-alpha.

To clarify the mechanism of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced macrophage-like differentiation of HL-60 cells, we investigated the correlation between the effects of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors on the induction of markers of TPA-induced differentiation and those on suggested critical steps of the differentiation. H-7, sphingosine, and trifluoroperazine significantly suppressed TPA-induced cell adhesion but their effects on the induction of acid phosphatase and nonspecific esterase differed among the inhibitors. The three inhibitors failed to affect on TPA-induced annexin I expression. In contrast, staurosporine markedly suppressed the induction of all these markers. The effects of the inhibitors on some suggested critical steps of the differentiation, a rapid phosphorylation of specific proteins, a rapid membrane association of PKC, and down-regulation of PKC at 18 h after addition of TPA, were not correlated with those on the differentiation marker induction. Only the effect of the inhibitors on up-regulation of PKC-alpha was closely correlated with TPA-induced annexin I expression; staurosporine inhibited up-regulation of PKC-alpha but other inhibitors did not similarly affect the induction of annexin I expression. These results suggest that PKC-alpha is intimately related to macrophage-like differentiation of HL-60 cells by TPA.