Differential expression of transglutaminase in human erythroleukemia cells in response to retinoic acid.

Two human erythroleukemia cell lines, HEL and K562, express transglutaminase activity. The enzyme was identified as a tissue transglutaminase following chromatographic purification. All-trans-retinoic acid (10 microM) stimulated differentiation in HEL cells as judged by a 4-fold increase in hemoglobin content and a reduction in cell proliferation. The transglutaminase activity increased 9-fold. This increase in transglutaminase was the result of a pretranslational regulation of the gene as revealed by Northern blot analysis of mRNA. These changes were not a result of cell apoptosis, since parallel DNA degradation catalyzed by a Ca2(+)-dependent endonuclease could not be demonstrated. The K562 cells, in contrast, showed no transglutaminase induction following exposure to retinoic acid and displayed no changes in maturation markers or cell growth.