Induction of cell differentiation in Burkitt lymphoma lines. BLA: a glycolipid marker of B-cell differentiation.

We have previously described an MAb referred to as 38.13 which reacts with a glycolipid membrane antigen (named BLA) on Burkitt lymphoma (BL) lines. The BLA antigen and other B-cell differentiation markers have been studied on BL lines treated with sodium butyrate, agents from the phorbol-diester series (with or without differentiating properties) and teleocidin. With all differentiation inducers tested, expression of BLA as well as of surface IgM decreased on the induced cells whereas that of BI increased and that of HLA DR remained stable. No BL cells studied reacted with anti-IgD, with B2 or with LBI MAbs, either before or after induction. An EBV-negative line (BJAB) was compared to its Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-converted subline (BJAB/B95). Both EBV-positive and EBV-negative lines gave comparable results. These data demonstrate that BL cells could be moved along their differentiation pathway by chemical inducers and suggest that BLA represents a new glycolipid marker of early B-cell differentiation.