INDUCTION OF SPECIFIC PROTEIN-TYROSINE-PHOSPHATASE TRANSCRIPTS DURINGDIFFERENTIATION OF MOUSE EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA (F9) CELLS

We have investigated the pattern of PTPase transcript expression durin g in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma (F9) cells. Wh ile the transcripts of most PTPases were unchanged or undetected durin g embryonal differentiation induced by retinoic acid, several PTPase t ranscripts exhibited distinct patterns of induction. Mutant cells defe ctive in differentiation did not display the induction of some of thes e PTPase transcripts. Interestingly, three out of the four PTPase tran scripts induced were the same PTPase transcripts induced during in vit ro erythroid differentiation of mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells [(19 82) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 107, 1104-1109]. The possible role played by specific PTPases in cell differentiation is discussed.