Characterization of a novel biphenotypic leukemia cell line, TA-1, with myeloperoxidase and inducible cytoplasmic mu chain: altered rearrangement patterns of antigen receptor genes.

Abstract

A novel biphenotypic cell line carrying t(9;11)(p22;q23), TA-1, was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with acute undifferentiated leukemia. The TA-1 cells simultaneously expressed lymphoid (CD19, CD20) and myeloid characteristics (CD13, CD33, myeloperoxidase) on the same cells. When the cells were treated with tetraphorbol acetate, cytoplasmic mu chain was induced and the fluorescence intensity of CD13 was increased. These findings suggested that TA-1 cells have a bidirectional maturation capacity, as well as biphenotypic features. Molecular analysis disclosed differences in the rearranged bands, corresponding to one allele of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgH) and the T cell antigen receptor gamma gene (TCR gamma), between the non-cultured cells and the cell line, while showing identical rearranged patterns of another allele of both these genes and the TCR beta gene. These results suggest that the non-cultured cells and the established cell line have the same clonal origin and that the latter is a clonal descendant of the former.