Coordinate expression of the lineage-specific growth factor colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-1 and its receptor selectively promotes macrophage maturation during differentiation of multipotential progenitor cells.

The multipotent hematopoietic precursor line A4GMV#2, derived by infection of FDCP-mix cells with a retroviral vector expressing the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF) gene, proliferates continuously in interleukin 3 and presents the unique advantage of synchronous granulocyte and macrophage differentiation upon interleukin 3 withdrawal. Using this system, we showed previously that the mRNAs for lineage-specific receptors (granulocyte-CSF receptors, CSF-1 receptors, and Erythropoietin receptors) and ligands (granulocyte-CSF and CSF-1) are up-regulated during myeloid maturation. Here we address the specific question of the regulation of the expression of CSF-1 and its receptor and of their relevance to macrophage differentiation. Both genes were transcribed with equal efficiency in undifferentiated and differentiating cells. CSF-1 mRNA was detected in undifferentiated cells and increased slightly in the early phases of differentiation. CSF-1 receptor mRNA, absent in undifferentiated cells, accumulated early in differentiation (24 h) and remained constant thereafter. The production of both proteins, detected later during the differentiation of A4GMV#2 cells and of bone marrow-derived myeloid precursors, was therefore controlled at the posttranscriptional level. CSF-1 was produced by cells of the macrophage lineage and accumulated in mature phagocytes. A neutralizing anti-CSF-1 serum selectively impaired macrophage differentiation of A4GMV#2 cells and, most significantly, of primary myeloid precursors. These data indicate that CSF-1 and its receptor interact productively during differentiation and that the resulting autocrine stimulation selectively promotes macrophage maturation.

Macrophage precursor cells produce perforin and perform Yac-1 lytic activity in response to stimulation with interleukin-2.

Macrophage precursor cells, derived from mouse bone marrow culture with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) as growth factor and interleukin-2 (IL-2) as stimulating factor, were activated by IL-2 to exert strong cytolytic activity against Yac-1 cells. In response to IL-2 stimulation these bone marrow macrophage precursor cells produced perforin as lytic molecules. The purity of the precursor cells for the study was proved as homogeneous positivity for Mac-1, NK-1.1 and negativity for Lyt 1 and 2. The cells express CSF-1 receptors on their surface, are able to proliferate and differentiate into typical macrophages when stimulated with CSF-1, and are therefore members of the macrophage lineage. Perforin transcripts were identified by Northern blot analysis of IL-2-treated macrophage precursor cells, and the presence of perforin protein in the cytoplasmic granules was demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antiperforin antibody. In addition, the biological activity of the perforin contained in the macrophage precursor's granules could be documented as calcium-dependent lytic activity using Yac-1 and sheep red blood cells as targets. The results presented in this paper imply the existence of a bipotent precursor cell, which can mature into a typical macrophage if CSF-1 or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate is supplied as differentiation stimulating factor but develops into an NK/LAK cell when early activation with IL-2 is provided.