Bryostatin 1 (bryo1)-induced monocytic differentiation in THP-1 human leukemia cells is associated with enhanced c-fyn tyrosine kinase and M-CSF receptors

Bryostatin 1 (bryo1), a naturally occurring macrocyclic lactone derived from the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina is a potent protein kinase C (PKC) activator. In this report, we investigated the role of c-fyn protein, a src-related protein tyrosine kinase (PTK), during bryo1-induced monocytic differentiation in a human leukemia cell line, THP-1. Bryo1 treatment for 24 h inhibited the proliferation of THP-1 cells and caused a major fraction of them to become adherent cells with distinct monocyte/macrophage features and enhanced expression of M-CSF receptors (M-CSFR), a hallmark of mature macrophages. The THP-1 cells in control cultures expressed low but detectable levels of c-fyn proteins. Treatment of THP-1 cells with bryo1 resulted in an enhanced expression of c-fyn proteins, but not c-lyn proteins, another member of the src- family of kinases. The bryo1 treatment also enhanced the levels of both c-fyn tyrosine kinase and autophosphorylation activities in THP-1 cells. Using a combined immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis, bryo1 was shown to promote an enhanced association between c-fyn kinase and M-CSFR. The inducing activity of bryo1 was associated with PKC activation; treatment of THP-1 cells with bryo1 led to a rapid and transient elevation of total PKC activity in THP-1 cells. These results show that enhanced expression and activation of fyn kinases are critical events associated with monocytic differentiation induced by bryo1 in THP-1 cells. Our findings may be of clinical relevance, as bryo1 has been used in clinical trials of cancer patients.