Erythroid differentiation of K-562 cells induced by ethidium bromide

The exposure of K-562 cells to ethidium bromide or acridine orange as DNA-intercalating agents induced their differentiation to hemoglobin-producing cells. The addition of L-ethionine or dimethylsulfoxide induced neither such differentiation nor changes in poly(A) polymerase activity of K-562 cells, though the addition of ethidium bromide, acridine orange, hydroxyurea, or 1-beta-arabinofuranosylcytosine induced erythroid differentiation and decreases in poly(A) polymerase activity. These results suggest that DNA-intercalation is one of the pathways triggering differentiation of K-562 cells and the decrease in poly(A) polymerase activity may be an important change associated with differentiation of K-562 cells.