Expression of red cell specific determinants during differentiation in the K562 erythroleukaemia cell line

A human haemopoietic cell line (K562) which exhibits various erythroid characteristics, has been utilised as a model system for studying erythropoietic differentiation. We have analysed the alterations in expression of cell membrane determinants which accompany the induction of Hb synthesis. We confirm that the K562 cell line exhibits a number of erythroid features: it expresses immunologically detectable membrane proteins, glycophorin A and spectrin and can ber induced, by addition of haemin or n-butyrate, to synthesise Hb. N and i-like blood group activities are demonstrable in uninduced K562, but band 3, ABH and other major alloantigens characteristic of mature erythrocytes are lacking. The acquisition of cell surface antigens typifying erythroid or other haemopoietic lineages has not been demonstrated following induction, although certain properties not associated with morphologically recognisable red cell precursors are lost. The relevance of these findings to the foetal nature and possible multipotentiality of the K562 cell line are discussed.