Humanpolymorphonuclearleukocytes(PMN)havebeenreportedtocompletelylackofDNA-dependentproteinkinase(DNA-PK)whichiscomposedofKuproteinandthecatalyticsubunitDNA-PKcs,neededfornonhomologousend-joining(NHEJ)ofDNAdouble-strandbreaks.PromyelocyticHL-60cellsexpressavariantformofKuresultinginenhancedradiationsensitivity.ThisraisesthequestioniflowefficiencyofNHEJ,instrumentalforthecellularrepairofoxidativedamage,isanormalcharacteristicofmyeloiddifferentiation.HereweconfirmedthecompletelackofDNAPKinPMNproteinextracts,andtheexpressionofthetruncatedKu86variantforminHL-60.However,thisdegradationofDNA-PKwasshowntobeduetoaDNA-PK-degradingproteaseinPMNandHL-60.Inaddition,byusingaprotease-resistantwholecellassay,bothKu86andDNA-PKcscouldbedemonstratedinPMN,suggestingthepreviouslyreportedabsenceinPMNofDNA-PKtobeanartefact.ThelevelsofKu86andDNA-PKcsweremuchreducedinPMN,ascomparedwiththatofthelymphocytes,whereasHL-60displayedamarkedlyelevatedDNA-PKconcentration.Inconclusion,ourfindingsprovideevidenceofreduced,notdepletedexpressionofDNA-PKduringthematurestagesofmyeloiddifferentiation.
