Regulation of the Proliferation of the Established Human Monoblast Cell Line, U937, at the Single Cell Level1
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[CANCER RESEARCH 46, 3309-3312, July 1986] Regulation of the Proliferation of the Established Human Monoblast Cell Line, U937, at the Single Cell Level1 Ellin Berman, Berish Y. Rubin, and Hal E. Broxmeyer2 Department of Developmental Hematopoiesis, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [E. B.J; Department of Lymphokine Biology, The Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute of the New York Blood Center, New York, New York 10021 [B. Y. R.J; and Departments of Medicine, Hematology /Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Walther Medical Research Institute and the Elks Cancer Research Center, Indianapolis, Indiana 46223 ¡H.E. B.] ABSTRACT pliages and T-lymphocytes (4, 12). Colony formation by MHC class II antigen-positive U937 CFC can be suppressed by puri U937 cells, an established monoblast or early monocyte cell line, were fied iron-saturated LF and TF and this is associated with assessed as a model in vitro for the regulation of cell growth at the single induction of MHC class II antigens on U937 CFC by HuIFN- cell level. Colony formation by 500 U937 cells, preinduced to a state of •y(13,14). Dialyzed U937 CM does not influence the cloning responsiveness to lactoferrin (LF) by incubation with human y Interferon was suppressed by LF. LF-suppressed colony formation was restored by efficiency of U937 cells but does restore colony formation partially purified growth activity derived from U937 cells. The release of suppressed by LF or TF without inactivating the LF or TF growth factor(s) into conditioned medium required concentrations of >51III (15). These results were similar to studies reported previously U937 cells/ml and this release was dependent on the length of time that with a murine myelomonocytic leukemia cell line, WEHI-3, the cells conditioned the culture medium. This release was suppressed that had been adapted to culture (16). The studies reported by LF. U937 cells were induced to a state of responsiveness to LF by herein utilize HuIFN-7, LF, TF and PP-U937-GA to present incubation with human 7 Interferon, washed, and plated as a single cell evidence for regulation of growth at the level of single isolated per well. Individual cells formed colonies with a cloning efficiency of U937 cells. -50% which equalled the cloning efficiency detected when 500 U937 cells/ml were plated, suggesting that U937 colony forming cells might contain endogenous growth activity. Detection of these endogenous MATERIALS AND METHODS growth activities required the use of LF. The cloning efficiency of Cell Line. U937 cells (2, 5) were grown in McCoy's 5A medium individually isolated U937 cells was suppressed by -50% with LF, supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated (56'C for 30 min) FBS (Hy- similar to the LF suppression of colony formation when 500 cells/ml were plated. That the LF-suppressed U937 colony forming cells required clone, Loga, UT), vitamins, sodium pyruvate, essential and nonessential amino acids, serine, L-glutamine, and asparagine (Gibco Laboratories, growth activity was suggested as the cloning efficiency of LF-suppressed Grand Island, NY) at 37°Cina humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. individually isolated U937 colony forming cells was restored by partially Purified Molecules. Human milk LF and human serum TF were purified U937 growth activity. Partially purified U937 growth activity purchased from Calbiochem (San Diego, CA), affinity purified (11) and did not stimulate, enhance, or inhibit colony formation by normal human iron saturated (3, 11) as described elsewhere. Natural HuIFN-7 was bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitors. U937 cells can thus purified to a specific activity of 2 x IO7NIH reference units/mg protein serve as a useful model for the study of growth regulation at the level of (17). a single cell. Preparation of PP-U937-GA. U937 cells (2 x 105/ml) conditioned McCoy's 5A medium (10% FBS) without or with 10~*M indomethacin for 24 to 96 h. Indomethacin was used to stop production of prosta- INTRODUCTION glandin E (15), which inhibits colony formation of U937 cells (14). CM Established hematopoietic cell lines have proven helpful in to be used for purification was prepared in the absence of indomethacin and concentrated 10 times using a Minicon-B-15 concentrator (Ami- evaluating factors that can influence the proliferation and dif ferentiation of normal and leukemia hematopoietic cells (1-4). con, Lexington, MA). One-mi fractions were loaded onto a G-100 superfine Sephadex column (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Piscataway, We sought to determine if an individual hematopoietic cell NJ) equilibrated with phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.0, and the eluted physically separated from other cells could proliferate and fractions were collected. The active material appeared to have a molec whether this proliferation could be suppressed and then restored ular weight greater than 100,000 and was purified > 1,000-fold by this by factors released from these cells. U937 cells, an established procedure (data not shown). human monoblast or early monocyte cell line (2, 5) were chosen Preparation of Cells for Colony Assay. Cells were suspended at 2 x for these studies. LF3 (3, 4, 6-10) and TF (11) have been 10s cells/ml in 5 ml of McCoy's 5A medium with 10% PBS and 10~* M indomethacin in Corning 25-cm2 T-flasks with 20 units HuIFN-7/ implicated as regulatory molecules for myelopoiesis and their ml. Cells were incubated at 37°Cin 5% CO2 in air under humidified actions in vitro on the suppression of the production/release of GM-CSF have been associated with the presence of MHC class conditions for 72 h, a time which allows for optimal induction of MHC II antigens on their respective target cells, monocytes-macro- class II antigens on U937 cells, U937 CFC, and responsiveness of U937 CFC to suppression by LF and TF (13). Received 12/20/85; revised 3/18/86; accepted 3/21/86. Colony Formation Assay. U937 cells were cultured in 1 ml of 0.3% The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment agar (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, MI) culture medium (13). PP-U937- of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in GA (10% v/v) was added with control medium, LF, or TF to the cells accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. 1These studies were supported by USPHS Grants CA 36740 (formerly CA which were plated at 500 cells/ml prior to gelling of the agar and 23528), CA 36464 (to H. E. B.) and CA 38661 (to B. Y. R.) from the National colonies were scored after 7 days of incubation. Aggregates containing Cancer Institute and by a Clinical Scholar Award from Sloan Kettering Institute more than 10 cells were scored as colonies, but colonies usually con to E.' To B. whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of tained more than 30 cells. Colonies containing more than 100 cells were not unusual. Colony forming assays by IO5 nonadherent low Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Clinical Building, Room 379, 541 Clinical Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46223. density normal human bone marrow cells were done using 5637 CM 3The abbreviations used are: LF, lactoferrin; CFU-GM, colony forming unit, (18) as described elsewhere (3,18). Colonies (>50 cells/aggregate) and granulocyte-macrophage; TF, transferrin; CFC, colony forming cells; HuIFN--y, clusters (3-50 cells/aggregate) were scored after 7 days of incubation. human -, interferon; CM, conditioned medium; CSF, colony stimulating factors; FBS, fetal bovine serum; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; PP-U937- Colony Assay for Single Isolated U937 Cells. Culture wells (24-well GA, partially purified U937 growth activity; GM-CSF, granulocyte-macrophage multiwell; Becton Dickinson, Oxnard, CA) contained 0.5 ml of media colony stimulating factors. composed of 40% double strength supplemented McCoy's media, 10% 3309 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 28, 2021. © 1986 American Association for Cancer Research. REGULATION OF SINGLE U937 CELLS FBS, and 50% 0.6% agar. To the wells were added 10 ¿<1ofcontrol These results strongly suggest that the restoring influence of media, 10 n\ of 5 x 10"* M LF (final concentration, 10~8M), without PP-U937-GA on colony formation suppressed by LF is not due or with 10 /il of PP-U937-GA. Individual cells were isolated by using a simply to inactivation of LF. hand controlled micropipet apparatus under an inverted microscope in Release of Growth Activity from U937 Cells. U937 cells were a sterile hood from the cells which had been suspended in media after preincubation for 72 h with HuIFN--y and washed 3 times. The presence allowed to condition culture medium for 1, 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h at concentrations of IO2, 2.5 X IO2, 5 x IO2, IO3, 5 x IO3, of a single cell was then verified in each well; if the cell could not be IO4, and 10s cells/ml in the presence of 10~6 M indomethacin. identified or if more than one cell was transferred, the individual well was discounted in the evaluation. In each experiment a 24-well control As shown in Table 3, medium conditioned by up to IO5 cells/ plate, LF plate, LF plus PP-U937-GA plate, and a plate containing ml for 1 and 4 h did not restore colony formation suppressed PP-U937-GA alone was set up. Colonies were counted after 7 days. by LF. Medium conditioned by IO5 but not IO4cells/ml for 24 Statistical Analysis. Three to 5 plates were scored for each sample, h, by IO3but not 5 x IO2cells/ml for 48 h, and by 5 x IO2but and the probability of significant differences between samples was not 2.5 x IO2cells/ml for 72 and 96 h, restored colony forma determined with Student's t test.