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SOCS-1 (suppressor of cytokine signaling-1) is a representative of a family of negative regulators of cytokine signaling (SOCS-1 to SOCS-7 and CIS) characterized by a highly conserved C-terminal SOCS box preceded by an SH2 domain. This study comprehensively examined the ability of several SOCS family members to negatively regulate the gp130 signaling pathway. SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 inhibited both interleukin-6 (IL-6)- and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-induced macrophage differentiation of murine monocytic leukemic M1 cells and LIF induction of a Stat3-responsive reporter construct in 293T fibroblasts. Deletion of amino acids 51-78 in the N-terminal region of SOCS-1 prevented inhibition of LIF signaling. The SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 N-terminal regions were functionally interchangeable, but this did not extend to other SOCS family members. Mutation of SH2 domains abrogated the ability of both SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 to inhibit LIF signal transduction. Unlike SOCS-1, SOCS-3 was unable to inhibit JAK kinase activity in vitro, suggesting that SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 act on the JAK-STAT pathway in different ways. Thus, although inhibition of signaling by SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 requires both the SH2 and N-terminal domains, their mechanisms of action appear to be biochemically different.

M1/WT4 cells, derived from the murine myeloid leukemic M1 cells by over-expression of the receptor for CSF-1, were transfected with expression vectors encoding SOCS-1, SOCS-2, SOCS-3 or Cis-1. The differentiation response to CSF-1 and IL-6 was analyzed in the resulting cell lines. Myeloid differentiation in response to CSF-1 was not affected by any of the SOCS proteins, whereas the IL-6-mediated differentiation was inhibited by SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 and slightly delayed by SOCS-2 expression. In M1/WT4 cells IL-6 causes strong tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3, whereas the response to CSF-1 is weaker. The expression of the SOCS proteins had no effect on CSF-1 mediated STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation; however, SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 reduced the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 in response to IL-6 but did not abolish it. It appears, therefore, that SOCS-1, -2 and -3 and Cis-1 do not inhibit tyrosine kinase activity involved in CSF-1 mediated cell differentiation, whereas SOCS-1 and -3 are inhibiting kinase activity required for IL-6-mediated differentiation.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that acts on a variety of cell types and regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. The functional receptor for LIF is composed of LIFR alpha-chain (LIFRalpha) and gp130 both of which are shared in the functional receptors for oncostatin M, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and cardiotrophin-1. By using stable transfection of wild-type or cytoplasmic deletion mutants of LIFRalpha together with full-length gp130 into Ba/F3 cells, we found that cells expressing gp130 and an extensively deleted mutant LIFRalpha containing only the box-1 region were capable of proliferating in response to LIF, although LIF-dependent long term growth of these cells was seriously impaired. Using a similar strategy to generate WEHI-3BD+ cells expressing gp130 and wild-type or truncation mutants of LIFRalpha, studies revealed that the box-1 region of the LIFRalpha was also sufficient for LIF-dependent induction of different aspects of differentiation, including up-regulation of macrophage surface marker expression, morphological change, and cell migration in agar culture. However, the C-terminal region of the LIFRalpha, although not essential for intracellular signaling, was important for efficient receptor-mediated ligand internalization. In summary, the membrane-proximal box-1 region plays a dominant role in LIF-induced signal transduction of both proliferation and differentiation.

SOCS-1, a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family, was identified in a genetic screen for inhibitors of interleukin 6 signal transduction. SOCS-1 transcription is induced by cytokines, and the protein binds and inhibits Janus kinases and reduces cytokine-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 and the gp130 component of the interleukin 6 receptor. Thus, SOCS-1 forms part of a feedback loop that modulates signal transduction from cytokine receptors. To examine the role of SOCS-1 in vivo, we have used gene targeting to generate mice lacking this protein. SOCS-1(-/-) mice exhibited stunted growth and died before weaning with fatty degeneration of the liver and monocytic infiltration of several organs. In addition, the thymus of SOCS-1(-/-) mice was reduced markedly in size, and there was a progressive loss of maturing B lymphocytes in the bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood. Thus, SOCS-1 is required for in vivo regulation of multiple cell types and is indispensable for normal postnatal growth and survival.

The transmembrane protein gp130 is a shared component of the receptor complexes for the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-type cytokines, which include IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and oncostatin M (OSM). In addition to its role in the generation of high affinity receptors, gp130 is required for signal transduction by these cytokines. In the present study we have examined the role of the N-terminal located, extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig)-like module of gp130 in signal transduction by IL-6 and LIF. We have expressed wild-type human gp130 or three mutants in murine myeloid M1-UR21 cells that lack functional endogenous gp130 but express the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) and the LIF receptor (LIFR). By measuring cellular responses, such as morphological changes upon differentiation, soft agar colony formation, and induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription, STAT3, we show that signaling by IL-6, but not LIF, is significantly reduced by mutations in the Ig-like module of gp130. However, the binding of 125I-labeled IL-6 or LIF is not affected by these mutations. We also present evidence that the Ig-like module forms part of the epitope of an anti-gp130 monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the bioactivity of IL-6, but not of LIF or OSM. The data suggest that gp130-activation by IL-6 and LIF requires different regions of gp130, that the Ig-like module of gp130 may be required for IL-6-induced gp130 dimerization, and that the stoichiometry of the high affinity IL-6 receptor-complex differs from those of the receptor-complexes for LIF and OSM.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) induces a variety of disparate biological responses in different cell types. These responses are thought to be mediated through the functional LIF receptor (LIFR), consisting of a heterodimeric complex of LIFR alpha-chain (LIFRalpha) and gp130. The present study investigated the relative capacity of the cytoplasmic domains of each receptor subunit to signal particular responses in several cell types. To monitor the signaling potential of LIFRalpha and gp130 individually, we constructed chimeric receptors by linking the extracellular domain of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (GCSFR) to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions of either LIFRalpha or gp130. Both chimeric receptors and the full-length GCSFR in expressed in M1 myeloid leukemic cells to measure differentiation induction, in embryonic stem cells to measure differentiation inhibition, and in Ba/F3 cells to measure cell proliferation. Our results demonstrated that whereas GCSFR-gp130 receptor homodimer mediated a GCSF-induced signal in all three cell types, the GCSFR-LIFRalpha receptor homodimer was only functional in embryonic stem cells. These findings suggest that the signaling potential of gp130 and LIFRalpha cytoplasmic domains may differ depending upon the tissue and cellular response initiated.

Cytokines are secreted proteins that regulate important cellular responses such as proliferation and differentiation. Key events in cytokine signal transduction are well defined: cytokines induce receptor aggregation, leading to activation of members of the JAK family of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases. In turn, members of the STAT family of transcription factors are phosphorylated, dimerize and increase the transcription of genes with STAT recognition sites in their promoters. Less is known of how cytokine signal transduction is switched off. We have cloned a complementary DNA encoding a protein SOCS-1, containing an SH2-domain, by its ability to inhibit the macrophage differentiation of M1 cells in response to interleukin-6. Expression of SOCS-1 inhibited both interleukin-6-induced receptor phosphorylation and STAT activation. We have also cloned two relatives of SOCS-1, named SOCS-2 and SOCS-3, which together with the previously described CIS form a new family of proteins. Transcription of all four SOCS genes is increased rapidly in response to interleukin-6, in vitro and in vivo, suggesting they may act in a classic negative feedback loop to regulate cytokine signal transduction.

Self-renewing cell divisions are an important characteristic exhibited by both normal hematopoietic stem cells and leukemic cell populations. We have examined the action of flt3/flk2 ligand (FL) on physiologic suppression of self-renewal during growth factor-induced differentiation of M1 leukemic cells. Unstimulated M1 cells expressed high levels of flt3 receptor mRNA and protein, with approximately 20,000 molecules present at the cell surface. Consistent with data obtained from normal macrophage populations, expression of both mRNA and protein for flt3 receptor was suppressed as cells were induced to differentiate into mature macrophages in response to leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Although FL alone had no detectable action on unstimulated M1 cells, an effect was revealed during LIF-induced differentiation. FL overcame LIF-induced suppression in clonal cultures of M1 cells, prevented morphologic changes associated with macrophage differentiation and interfered with the LIF-induced responsiveness of M1 cells to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). This action of FL was evident on both parental M1 cells and M1 cells whose differentiation program was perturbed by enforced expression of the transcription factor SCL. The action of FL was most striking in clone transfer experiments in which FL rescued M1 cells from LIF-induced suppression of self-renewal. The ability of FL to maintain self-renewal characteristics satisfies one of the criteria predicted for a stem-cell-active molecule and contrasts with the action of FL in stimulating proliferation and differentiation of normal hematopoietic cells.

The signaling functions of the membrane and soluble form of the mouse IL-11 receptor (mIL-11R) were compared in rat and human hepatoma cells, which have a low endogenous IL-11 response. The expression vectors encoding either the full length or a secretory form of the ligand binding subunit of mIL-11R together with IL-6-responsive reporter gene constructs were transiently transfected into the H-35 and HepG2 cells. An IL-11-specific stimulation of transcription was detected that was qualitatively similar to that mediated by the endogenous IL-6R. HepG2 cells were noted to synthesize constitutively IL-11, resulting in an autocrine stimulation of gene expression. Addition of COS cell-derived soluble mIL-11R to the hepatoma cell cultures prominently enhanced IL-11 regulation of transfected reporter gene constructs and expression of endogenous acute phase plasma protein genes. Similarly, the complex of soluble mIL-11R and IL-11 was capable of mediating an IL-6-type signaling in cells that are naturally deficient in IL-11 response as shown by the activation of STAT1 and STAT3 in mouse embryonal carcinoma cells and human T cells. The results indicate that the IL-11R can serve as a substitute to IL-6R in activating gene expression in target cells that are devoid of the appropriate ligand-binding receptor subunits.

We describe the molecular cloning of a cDNA for the alpha chain of the human IL-11 receptor (IL-11R alpha) and demonstrate the requirement of either the human or mouse gp130 molecule for signalling. cDNA clones encoding IL-11R alpha were isolated from a bone marrow cDNA library using a fragment from the murine IL-11R alpha as a probe. The human receptor was predicted to consist of 422 amino acids and was found to share 84% identity with the murine protein. In the extra-cellular region it exhibited a single hemopoietin domain with conserved cysteine residues and WSTWS motif. The transmembrane region was followed by a short cytoplasmic tail which did not contain a tyrosine kinase domain. Interaction of the human IL-11R alpha with murine gp130 was demonstrated: expression of the human IL-11R alpha in murine M1 cells which constitutively express murine gp130 (and murine LIF receptor), resulted in the generation of specific high-affinity binding sites for IL-11 (Kd = 250 pM). In addition, expression of the human IL-11R alpha in these cells permitted the induction of macrophage differentiation in response to IL-11. These results suggested that the human IL-11R alpha chain was able to form a functional receptor complex in association with murine gp130. The requirement of gp130 for signalling was confirmed by expression of the human IL-11R alpha in Ba/F3 cells. BaF3 cells that expressed the human IL-11R alpha alone showed binding of radiolabelled IL-11 but no proliferative response. Introduction of human gp130 into these cells resulted in high-affinity IL-11 binding sites and IL-11 dependent cellular proliferation. Thus these results demonstrated the absolute requirement of gp130 for signalling.

The complex interaction of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) with its specific receptor present on the cell surface, in isolated membranes and in solution, has been examined in detail. Several aspects of this complexity have been highlighted, including the presence of high- and low-affinity murine LIF receptors, biphasic dissociation of human LIF from apparently homogeneous high- or low-affinity human LIF receptors, and unusual species cross-reactivity. The unusual species cross-reactivity observed between murine and human LIF has also been exploited to map an important receptor binding epitope on human LIF.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a peptide growth factor with multiple activities, has recently been shown to support the generation and survival of sensory neurons in cultures of mouse neural crest and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). We have conducted binding experiments with 125I-LIF on cultures of DRG to determine the receptor distribution for LIF on these cells and found that at least 60% of the sensory neurons in the cultures bound 125I-LIF, all of which could be eliminated by the addition of unlabeled LIF. The other cells in the culture, which morphologically appeared to be Schwann cells, did not bind appreciable quantities of 125I-LIF. In order to investigate whether LIF is retrogradely transported to sensory neurons in vivo, 125I-LIF was injected into the footpads and gastrocnemius muscles of newborn and adult mice, following sciatic nerve ligation. Radioactivity accumulated in the distal portion of the sciatic nerve, indicating retrograde transport of LIF. Subsequent experiments on mice with unligated sciatic nerves showed that 125I-LIF is specifically transported into the sensory neurons of the DRG. There was no apparent transport of 125I-LIF into motor neurons in the spinal cord. These experiments demonstrate that LIF can specifically bind to and be transported by sensory neurons and further support the idea that LIF acts as a target-derived neurotrophic factor, analogous to NGF.

The equilibrium and kinetic properties of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) binding to a range of cell types have been compared. When binding was examined at 4 degrees C, the majority of cells were found to express a single class of high affinity LIF receptor (KD = 20-100 pM; ka = 2-8 x 10(8) min-1 M-1; kd = 0.0004-0.0011 min-1). In contrast, certain activated macrophage populations expressed apparently independent classes of high and low affinity LIF receptor. The low affinity receptors differed from the high affinity receptors in terms of the dissociation rate of the receptor-ligand complex (KD = 1-2 nM; ka = 3-7 x 10(8) min-1 M-1; kd = 0.30-0.67 min-1). At 37 degrees C, the interaction of LIF with its high affinity receptor was more complicated, since occupied LIF receptors were internalized more rapidly than unoccupied receptors, internalized LIF was hydrolyzed and released from the cell, and new receptors were synthesized and expressed on the cell surface. Interestingly, when membranes were prepared from cells that expressed only high affinity receptors, both high and low affinity receptors were detected, while after detergent solubilization of membranes only low affinity receptors were apparent. These results are discussed in terms of a structural model for the LIF receptor in which interaction of a low affinity binding subunit and a second nonbinding subunit is required for the generation of the high affinity receptor.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is one of a growing number of cytokines that cannot be readily categorized according to its functions. Rather, these pleiotropic hormones have diverse and often overlapping effects on a multitude of cell types: for example, LIF can inhibit the differentiation of embryonal stem cells on one hand and induce the differentiation of M1 leukaemic cells on the other. Recent work has shed light on the physiological effects of LIF, how these are limited, and the biochemical and biological properties of LIF and its receptor.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a cytokine previously shown to maintain pluripotent embryonic stem cells in their undifferentiated state. We have examined the effects of LIF in nullipotent embryonal carcinoma cell lines, and have found that LIF blocks differentiation induced by retinoic acid and at low temperature in OTF9 cells. LIF did not block differentiation in a parent F9 cell line. For OTF9 cells, LIF acts early in differentiation, inhibiting the appearance of parietal endoderm-type product cells. However, it acts subsequent to retinoic acid, and at least one early retinoic acid-induced event is unaltered in the presence of LIF. This finding provides both a means of dissecting the cascade of events leading to EC cell differentiation, and a well-characterised target cell type for studying the mechanism of action of LIF.

The pleiotropic biological actions of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on haemopoietic cells (macrophages and megakaryocytes), hepatocytes, osteoblasts, pre-adipocytes, embryonic stem cells, myoblasts and neuronal cells must be mediated through the interactions of LIF with specific cellular receptors. The demonstration by equilibrium binding analysis and autoradiography of LIF receptors on all of the above cells and cell lines suggests that each of these pleiotropic effects of LIF is mediated by direct interactions with the responding cells rather than by the indirect release of secondary cytokines. Despite the differing biological effects of LIF on these cells, equilibrium binding, kinetic analyses and receptor internalization studies have all suggested that these cells display essentially identical high affinity LIF receptors. Nevertheless, there is evidence on some cell types (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF] transgenic peritoneal cells and F9 embryonal carcinoma cells) for a second class of low affinity LIF receptors (Kd = 1.5 nM versus Kd = 30 pM for high affinity receptors) which, LIF receptors (Kd = 1.5 nM versus Kd = 30 pM for high affinity receptors) which differ from the high affinity receptors only in kinetic dissociation rate. Moreover, the evidence suggests that low and high affinity receptors are structurally related and interconvertible, because detergent solubilization of LIF receptors from any cell type results in the quantitative conversion of high affinity receptors into low affinity receptors. As is the case for other related cytokine receptors, these data suggest that high affinity LIF receptors may be composed of two protein subunits--one responsible for LIF-specific low affinity binding and the other responsible for affinity conversion and cell signalling by the receptor. Such a model provides a possible explanation for the pleiotropy of LIF's biological actions.

Leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) elicits effects on a broad range of cell types, including cells of the monocytic and megakaryocytic series, embryonal stem cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, and osteoblasts. Native and recombinant LIF, injected intravenously into adult mice, had an initial half-life of 6-8 min and a more prolonged second clearance phase. Clearance of 125I-LIF from the circulation was paralleled by a rapid accumulation in the kidneys, liver, lungs, and spleen and a more gradual accumulation in the thyroid gland. Labeling of the renal glomerular tufts, parenchymal hepatocytes, splenic red pulp, alveolar pneumocytes, and thyroid follicular cells as well as of megakaryocytes and osteoblasts in the bone cavities, placental trophoblasts, and cells of the choroid plexus was demonstrable autoradiographically. The appearance of a large amount of nonprecipitable 125I in the urine suggested that the kidneys were the major route of LIF clearance from the body.

Receptors for murine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) were demonstrated on immature and mature murine megakaryocytes. LIF alone had no effects in culture on the survival or proliferation of normal murine megakaryocytes or their precursors. However, combination of LIF with multipotential-colony-stimulating factor (Multi-CSF) (interleukin-3) enhanced the megakaryocyte colony formation able to be stimulated by Multi-CSF; the enhancement involved all types of megakaryocyte colony and resulted in the formation of increased numbers of megakaryocytes. These observations provide a possible basis for the observation that, when LIF is injected in vivo, elevations are observed in megakaryocyte numbers and platelet levels.

The notion that a single hormone may exert a broad range of effects has become well established. As such, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a prime example. LIF was initially described, purified, and genetically cloned on the basis of its ability to induce the differentiation and suppress the clonogenicity of the monocytic leukemia cell line, M1. Subsequently, it has become apparent that in vitro LIF inhibits the differentiation of pluripotential ES cells, stimulates the synthesis of hepatic acute-phase proteins, induces a switch in neurotransmitter phenotype from adrenergic to cholinergic, suppresses adipocyte lipoprotein lipase activity, and results in an increase in bone resorption. Moreover, elevation of LIF levels in vivo has a number of patho-physiological consequences, many of which parallel those effects observed in vitro. The challenge that lies ahead is to determine whether other sites of LIF action exist and to define more clearly the physiological role LIF plays in vivo. A major mechanism of cell-cell communication is by the production and secretion of polypeptide hormones by one cell type, which act either systemically or locally, via interaction with specific receptors on the surface of responsive cells. Recently, it has become apparent that hormones initially described and named, on the basis of a specific action, in many cases exert a spectrum of effects on a broad range of cell types. Moreover, the effects exerted are often mimicked closely by other hormones. Hormones that act in a pleiotropic manner are, for example, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), the various fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). This review will focus on the various biological effects ascribed to LIF.

The processes that regulate the development of peripheral neurons from their precursors in the embryonic neural crest are essentially unknown. In this report, we show that leukemia inhibitory factor stimulates the generation of neurons in cultures of mouse neural crest. These neurons have the morphology of sensory neurons and contain neuropeptides found in mammalian sensory neurons. Consistent with these neurons being of the sensory lineage is the finding that they arise from nondividing precursors within the neural crest. In addition, we show that leukemia inhibitory factor supports the generation and/or maturation of sensory neurons in cultures of cells obtained from embryonic dorsal root ganglia. In cultures of postnatal dorsal root ganglia, which contain mature sensory neurons, leukemia inhibitory factor acts directly as a survival molecule on the majority of neurons.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a glycoprotein that induces the differentiation of the monocytic leukemia cell line M1 but suppresses the differentiation of totipotent embryonic stem cells. In an attempt to define the normal cellular targets for LIF, the distribution of LIF receptors within hemopoietic and hepatic tissue was analyzed by binding cells with radioiodinated LIF (125I-LIF) and subsequently carrying out autoradiography. Autoradiography demonstrated that in each hemopoietic tissue examined cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage were the primary cell type labeled with 125I-LIF. Moreover, both fetal and adult parenchymal hepatocytes displayed higher levels of labeling than either monocytes or macrophages. The number of receptors per positive cell varied from 150 for bone marrow monocytes to 2,000 for adult hepatocytes. In each case, however, binding was of high affinity, with an apparent KD of 34-100 pM, and binding was specific, since labeling was competed for by unlabeled LIF but not a range of other structurally unrelated growth and differentiation factors. It is suggested that LIF may play a role in regulating macrophage function and hepatic acute phase protein synthesis in response to infection.

This study examines the effect of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on preosteoblastic rat calvaria (RCT-1) cells, which acquire osteoblastic properties when treated with retinoic acid (RA). LIF potentiated the increase in alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity produced by RA. The LIF effect was time and dose dependent (EC50, approximately 1 pM). The earliest effects on AP activity were detected at 48 h, and maximal effects were observed after 72 h. RA increased AP mRNA about 2-fold at 3 h and 6-fold at 6 and 12 h. LIF further increased AP mRNA to 18-fold at 12 h. After RA treatment AP mRNA returned to control levels at 24 h, but in the presence of LIF, AP mRNA remained elevated at 24 and 72 h of treatment. When given alone, LIF had no effect on either AP activity or mRNA levels. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 also potentiated the RA induction of AP, and interleukin-6 had a small effect, whereas granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor had no effect. LIF alone had a small inhibitory effect on type 1 collagen mRNA, but did not oppose the stimulatory effect of RA. Consistent with these biological actions, LIF receptors were demonstrated on these cells. [125I]LIF bound to RCT-1 cells at 0 C with an apparent dissociation constant of 20 pM, and it was found that these cells express an average of 300 receptors/cell. Scatchard analyses showed a single class of high affinity binding site. LIF was internalized with an endocytic rate constant for occupied receptors of 0.03 min-1, and the apparent equilibrium dissociation constant at 37 C was 358 pM. These findings suggest that osteoblast precursor cells are among the target cells of LIF.

Specific binding of leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) to osteoblasts, but not multinucleated osteoclasts, was demonstrated by receptor autoradiography by using cells isolated from newborn rat long bones. The clonal rat osteogenic sarcoma cells, UMR 106-06, which have several phenotypic properties of osteoblasts, expressed 300 LIF receptors per cell, with an apparent KD of 60 pM. Treatment of calvarial osteoblasts or UMR 106-01 cells with LIF resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of plasminogen activator (PA) activity. Both calvarial osteoblasts and osteogenic sarcoma cells were shown by Western blotting and reverse fibrin autography to produce plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), the production of which was increased by LIF treatment. Northern blot analysis revealed that LIF treatment resulted in a rapid (peak 1 hour), dose-dependent increase in mRNA for PAI-1. LIF treatment of the preosteoblast cell line, UMR 201, enhanced the alkaline phosphatase response of these cells to retinoic acid. Each of the osteoblast-like cell types (calvarial osteoblasts, UMR 106-06, and UMR 201) was shown to produce LIF by bioassay and, by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was shown to express low levels of mRNA for LIF. These data establish that cells of the osteoblast lineage are targets for LIF action. The reported anabolic effects of this cytokine on bone formation in vivo could be related to inhibition of protease activity. LIF may be an important paracrine modulator in bone, or perhaps an autocrine one, based on the evidence for its production by osteoblasts and osteoblast-like cells.

A number of cytokines have been found to be potent regulators of bone resorption and to share the properties originally attributed to osteoclast-activating factor. One such activity, differentiation-inducing factor (DIF, D-factor) from mouse spleen cells, shares a number of biological and biochemical properties with the recently characterized and cloned leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). We have assessed the effects of recombinant LIF on bone resorption and other parameters in neonatal mouse calvaria. Both recombinant murine and human (h) LIFs stimulated 45Ca release from prelabeled calvaria in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in bone resorption was associated with an increase in the number of osteoclasts per mm2 bone. The osteolytic effect of hLIF were blocked by 10(-7) M indomethacin. hLIF also stimulated incorporation of [3H] thymidine into calvaria, but the dose-response relationship was distinct from that for bone resorption, and this effect was not blocked by indomethacin. Similarly, hLIF increased [3H]phenylalanine incorporation into calvaria, and this was also not inhibited by indomethacin. It is concluded that LIF stimulates bone resorption by a mechanism involving prostaglandin production, but that a distinct mechanism is responsible for its stimulation of DNA and protein synthesis. The primary structure of LIF differs from that of other fully characterized, bone-active cytokines, and it, thus, represents a novel factor which may be involved in the normal regulation of bone cell function.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, the totipotent outgrowths of blastocysts, can be cultured and manipulated in vitro and then returned to the embryonic environment where they develop normally and can contribute to all cell lineages. Maintenance of the stem-cell phenotype in vitro requires the presence of a feeder layer of fibroblasts or of a soluble factor, differentiation inhibitory activity (DIA) produced by a number of sources; in the absence of DIA the ES cells differentiate into a wide variety of cell types. We recently noted several similarities between partially purified DIA and a haemopoietic regulator, myeloid leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a molecule which induces differentiation in M1 myeloid leukaemic cells and which we have recently purified, cloned and characterized. We demonstrate here that purified, recombinant LIF can substitute for DIA in the maintenance of totipotent ES cell lines that retain the potential to form chimaeric mice.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a glycoprotein capable of suppressing the clonogenicity and inducing the differentiation of the murine myeloid leukemia cell line M1, was radioiodinated to a high specific radioactivity with retention of full biological activity. Binding of 125I-labeled LIF to M1 cells reached a steady state at 37 degrees C after approximately equal to 40 min and was in competition with unlabeled LIF but not granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or a range of other cytokines or differentiation-inducing agents. Specific binding was demonstrable to cells from a range of murine hemopoietic tissues including the bone marrow, the spleen, and the peritoneal cavity. Autoradiography revealed macrophages, monocytes, and their precursors to be the major cell types responsible for 125I-labeled LIF binding within these tissues. Receptors on M1 cells were of high affinity (apparent Kd, 100-200 pM) and few in number (300-500 per cell).

A human homologue of the recently cloned murine leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) gene was isolated from a genomic library by using the murine cDNA as a hybridization probe. The nucleotide sequence of the human gene indicated that human LIF has 78% amino acid sequence identity with murine LIF, with no insertions or deletions, and that the region of the human gene encoding the mature protein has one intervening sequence. After oligonucleotide-mediated mutagenesis, the mature protein-coding region of the LIF gene was introduced into the yeast expression vector YEpsec1. Yeast cells transformed with the resulting recombinant could be induced with galactose to produce high levels of a factor that induced the differentiation of murine M1 leukemic cells in a manner analogous to murine LIF. This factor competed with 125I-labeled native murine LIF for binding to specific cellular receptors on murine cells, compatible with a high degree of structural similarity between the murine and human factors.

The in vitro actions of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) purified from Krebs tumor conditioned medium, were analyzed on murine leukemic M1 and WEHI-3B D+ cells and on normal hemopoietic progenitor cells. LIF has no observable effects on WEHI-3B D+ cells but rapidly induced macrophage differentiation and loss of clonogenicity in M1 cells, resulting in the formation of abortive clones or differentiating colonies of reduced size and number. These effects were observable within one to two cell divisions in the presence of LIF and were irreversible. Addition of macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (CSF) but not granulocyte/macrophage-CSF, granulocyte-CSF, or multi-CSF reduced the LIF-induced suppression of colony numbers and size. G-CSF had a slower differentiation-inducing action on M1 cells than LIF but potentiated the differentiation-inducing effects of low concentrations of LIF. LIF had no colony-stimulating activity for normal granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells and did not alter their quantitative responsiveness to CSF. However, culture of normal progenitor cells in the presence of LIF, but initial absence of CSF, reduced the survival of these cells. The differing actions of LIF and G-CSF on M1 leukemic cells suggest the existence of distinct mechanisms for inducing macrophage differentiation in these leukemic cells.

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) can induce macrophage differentiation in M1 murine myeloid leukaemic cells and suppress their proliferation in vitro. It does not stimulate the proliferation of normal progenitor cells and is apparently distinct from known colony-stimulating factors. We have used oligo-nucleotides complementary to partial amino acid sequence of LIF to isolate a LIF clone from a T lymphocyte cDNA library. When this cDNA was coupled to a yeast expression vector (YEpsec1) and introduced into yeast cells, a molecule with the biological properties characteristic of native LIF was secreted into the growth medium. The amino acid sequence of LIF established it to be a unique molecular entity, distinct from the other known haemopoietic growth factors. Since LIF is encoded by a unique gene, two biochemically separable forms of LIF probably represent post-transcriptional or posttranslational variants of the same gene product. In contrast to several other haemopoietic regulators, the 0.8- to 1-kb LIF mRNA was expressed constitutively in two murine T lymphocyte cell lines examined, and its abundance was not enhanced by stimulation with concanavalin A. Cloning, sequencing and expressing LIF has resolved several discrepancies in the literature concerning the identity of factors capable of inducing differentiation of murine myeloid leukaemic cells in vitro.

We have previously characterized, purified and cloned a novel murine and human regulator [leukaemia inhibitory factor, LIF] which induces the differentiation of certain murine and human myeloid leukaemic cells. Recently we have shown that there are specific LIF receptors on murine embryonic stem [ES] and embryonal carcinoma [EC] cells and that purified recombinant LIF can substitute for feeder cells and crude sources of differentiation inhibiting activity [DIA] [such as BRL-cell-conditioned medium] in the maintenance of ES cells in a pluripotential state in vitro. Furthermore, ES cells maintained in culture in recombinant LIF for a prolonged period can give rise to germline chimaeric mice. Thus, based on a number of biochemical and biological similarities, it is likely that LIF and DIA are the same molecule. The identification of LIF as a molecule, necessary and sufficient for the maintenance of ES cells in culture, should have a profound impact on the use of these cells for genetic manipulations.

A factor capable of inducing terminal differentiation in the murine myeloid leukemia cell line M1 has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the medium conditioned by Krebs II ascites tumor cells. The factor, termed leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a single chain glycoprotein of apparent Mr 58,000 which induces differentiation and inhibits proliferation of the M1 cell line but not the WEHI-3B D+ murine myeloid leukemic cell line and has no detectable proliferative activity on normal myeloid progenitor cells. It was purified using four successive high-efficiency purification steps--anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose; cation-exchange chromatography on CM-Sepharose; affinity chromatography on lentil lectin-Sepharose; and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a phenyl-silica matrix--to a specific biological activity of approximately 1.25 X 10(8) units/mg with an overall purification of 12,000-fold and a yield of 73% for the activity failing to bind to DEAE-Sepharose. Sufficient quantities of the factor (12 micrograms, 200 pmol) have been purified to allow structural and functional analysis of the molecule and comparison with other know differentiation inducers.

A cDNA library was constructed using mRNA from Krebs ascites tumor cells that was shown by Northern blot hybridization to contain mRNA for murine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). This library was screened with an oligonucleotide corresponding to the 3' end of a partial LIF cDNA clone, and an overlapping cDNA clone isolated. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this latter clone allowed the complete sequence of LIF to be derived. A cDNA molecule encoding the entire mature LIF protein was installed in a yeast expression vector, and LIF produced up to about 100 ng/ml in the growth medium. The LIF produced by yeast cells has the same biologic properties as native LIF and competes with native 125I-LIF for binding to specific cellular receptors. Two forms of native LIF, distinguishable by their chromatographic behavior on DEAE-Sepharose, were converted by neuraminidase treatment to a form with similar chromatographic behavior, suggesting that the major difference between these two species is the content of sialic acid on the carbohydrate portion. Moreover, yeast-derived recombinant LIF appears to display a different pattern of glycosylation to both forms of native LIF. From in vitro experiments, we conclude that the nature of the glycosylation is not crucial to biologic activity.