Expression and induction of cathepsins B and D in K562 cells

Three distinct lysosomal protease activities have been identified in the human leukemia cell line, K562. These include cathepsin D, the classic protease of the mature red blood cell, as well as two proteases, cathepsins B and H, which have been associated with development and differentiation in a variety of tissues. Each of these three lysosomal proteases was expressed in a specific fashion during hemoglobin induction in K562 cells. Both cathepsin B and cathepsin D activities could be induced by growth of K562 cells in medium containing either hemin or heat-treated serum or by increasing the concentrations of untreated serum in the medium. Cathepsin H activity in the same cells remained unchanged. This is the first report of inducible protease activities in K562 cells. Our identification of specific well-characterized protease activities that change differentially during K562 induction provides a framework for additional studies on the role of proteases in hematopoietic differentiation.