Possible involvement of bcl-2 in regulation of cell-cycle progression of haemopoietic cells by transforming growth factor-β1.

Summary. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) acts directly on haemopoietic progenitor cells to regulate their growth. To investigate a possible link between the action of TGF-beta 1 and cell death regulators such as bcl-2, we utilized Ba/F3 cells, the interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent growth of which could be modulated by TGF-beta 1, as well as haemopoietic progenitor cells. We demonstrate here that upregulation of bcl-2 protein (Bcl-2) as well as that of an inhibitor of cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complex, p27, was associated with TGF-beta 1-induced deceleration of the cell-cycling of haemopoietic progenitor cells and Ba/F3 cells. The data from cell-cycle analysis of Ba/F3 cells showed that TGF-beta 1 retarded the G1 to S phase transition. Analysis of cells with the potential to express Bcl-2 in an inducible manner indicated that up-regulation of Bcl-2 was sufficient for not only an increase in the level of p27 but also to inhibit the cell growth. Using c-kit-overexpressing cells, we observed that the potential of TGF-beta 1 to up-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 and p27 could be counteracted by the c-kit ligand, stem cell factor. These results demonstrate that Bcl-2 exerts an essential function in the regulation of G1 to S phase transition of haemopoietic cells by TGF-beta 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]