Promonocytes have the functional characteristics of natural killer cells.

Promonocytes isolated from a 5-day-old L-fibroblast-conditioned liquid bone marrow culture show strong NK cell cytotoxicity. They kill YAC target cells in a short-term 125IUDR-release assay whereas P815 targets are unaffected. This NK-like cytotoxicity is enhanced in the presence of interferon preparations. Morphologically, these promonocytes resemble a medium size lymphocyte with a high nucleus to cytoplasma ratio, they are nonadherent, nonphagocytic, and negative in nonspecific esterase staining. Promonocytes are precursor cells from macrophages, which have not yet developed the typical macrophage criteria. Within 24 to 48 hr they mature to adherent macrophages. We have shown previously, that the same promonocytes have the capacity to perform K cell killing of antibody-coated tumor target cells. The cytotoxic effector functions of promonocytes are abolished when the cells are treated with the alloantimacrophage serum Mphi 1.2 plus rabbit C. The relationship or similarity between K cells, NK cells and promonocytes is discussed.