CHARACTERIZATION OF EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS OF V-RAF/MIL-TRANSFORMED AND V-MYC-TRANSFORMED MURINE SPLENIC MACROPHAGE CELL-LINES

We have characterized several of the cytocidal effector functions of a series of cell lines derived by recombinant retroviral transformation of individual clones of C3H/HeJ mouse splenic macrophages. The three cell lines described in this report (4.01, 4.07, 4.14) all expressed equivalent tumoricidal activity against P815 tumor target cells. However they differed in their high avidity binding of tumor cells (4.01 = 4.14 > 4.07), as well as in the killing of Leishmania major (4.01 = 4.07 > 4.14), the expression of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against chicken erythrocytes (4.14 > 4.01 > 4.07), and finally, in the tumor-stimulated release of tumor necrosis factor-α (4.01 = 4.14 > 4.07). The stable and restricted expression of distinct effector functions among these three cell lines makes them particularly valuable as models for establishing the precise mechanisms by which cytocidal functions are effected. In addition, they should also prove of value in understanding the basis for macrophage functional diversity. © 1991.