Changes in diacylglycerol and cyclic GMP during the differentiation of human myeloid leukemia K562 cells

When the human myeloid leukemia cell line, K562, was induced to differentiate along the erythroid lineage by a 4 day treatment with 10 microM tiazofurin, the cellular content of diacylglycerol decreased to 35% of the value in untreated control cells. Under the same conditions the content of cGMP decreased to 61% of the control value. Tiazofurin inhibits guanine nucleotide biosynthesis and lowers cellular GTP. When guanosine and adenine were added together with tiazofurin, the differentiation of K562 was prevented, the concentration of diacylglycerol was maintained at control values, and the reduction in the concentration of cGMP was partially prevented. Other inducers of differentiation which acted by different mechanisms, caused similar changes in the concentrations of diacylglycerol and cGMP.