Macrophage glycolipid receptors for human migration inhibitory factor (MIF): differentiated HL-60 cells exhibit MIF responsiveness and express surface glycolipids which both bind MIF and convert nonresponsive cells to responsiveness

The human promyelocytic leukemia line HL-60 when treated with a phorbol diester (TPA) differentiates into cells (HL60-TPA) that respond to human migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Unresponsive HL-60 cells became responsive to MIF when preincubated with a glycolipid-enriched preparation extracted from HL60-TPA cells, human monocytes, human macrophage-like (U937) cell line, or with the purified glycolipid receptor for MIF from guinea pig peritoneal macrophages. Human blood monocytes exhibited an increased response to MIF when preincubated with glycolipids from HL60-TPA and U937 cells but not from HL-60 cells. Finally, glycolipids from HL60-TPA cells but not from HL-60 cells were able to reversibly bind MIF when covalently coupled to agarose. These studies suggest that TPA induces the differentiation of HL-60 cells into MIF-responsive cells through the expression of a glycolipid receptor for MIF.