Effect of neutral proteases from human granulocytes on colony forming cells in vitro

Marked inhibition of colony formation is observed after incubation of mouse and human bone marrow cells with the human granulocytic neutral proteases elastase and chymotrypsin as well as with pancreatic chymotrypsin. The corresponding enzymes inactivated with diisopropylfluorophosphate were almost inactive. Incubation of different colony inducing agents either resulted in no change or in an increase of their colony stimulating activity. The data suggest a direct proteolytic action of the proteases on colony forming cells which may alter receptor sites for colony stimulating activities.