ROLE OF C-FES PROTOONCOGENE IN MYELOID DIFFERENTIATION

The main purpose of this report is to provide a review of the present knowledge on the structure, function, and possible regulatory role of c-fes in the genetic programs underlying the proliferation and differe ntiation of hematopoietic myeloid cells. Fes encodes a non-receptor ty rosine kinase that is highly expressed in immature and differentiated cells of the granulocytic and mono-macrophagic lineages. It is therefo re possible that c-fes is involved in the signal transduction of myelo id cell differentiation, even if the specific substrates phosphorylate d by this protooncogene are only poorly characterised. Several experim ental models have been established to evaluate the role of c-fes in my eloid differentiation, in particular: the differentiation capacity of HL60 cells lacking the p92(c-fes) protein, the transfection of c-fes g ene into K562 cells and transgenic animals overexpressing c-fes, The r esults obtained point to the importance of c-fes in myeloid cells, sin ce it appears to be involved in granulocytic maturation as an antiapop totic gene, and in macrophagic maturation as a regulatory gene.