Megakaryocytic cell lines

Megakaryocytic cell lines, established from the blood of patients with leukaemia, provide us with a unique opportunity to study the proliferation, differentiation and maturation of megakaryocytes. Eighteen human and three animal cell lines that express some megakaryocytic features have been described in the literature. Many of these cell lines have primitive multiphenotypic properties of erythroid, myeloid and megakaryocytic cells, while some show more restricted megakaryocyte-specific markers. The most consistent cell marker of megakaryocytic cell lines is the presence of platelet membrane glycoprotein (GPIIb-IIIa) in human cell lines and that of acetylcholinesterase in mouse or rat cell lines. The expressions of GPIb, von Willebrand factor and platelet peroxidase are variable among different cell lines, perhaps reflecting different stages of differentiation or a neoplastic nature of immortal cell lines. Treatment of many of these cell lines with phorbol esters leads to enhanced expression of the megakaryocytic programme.