Non-metastatic Cells 3, Protein Expressed in, EC=2.7.4.6

NME3 mRNA is preferentially expressed at early stages of myeloid differentiation of highly purified CD34(+) cells. Its constitutive expression in a myeloid precursor line, which is growth-factor dependent for both proliferation and differentiation, results in inhibition of granulocytic differentiation induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and causes apoptotic cell death. These results appear consistent with a role for the NME3 gene in normal hematopoiesis and raise the possibility that its overexpression contributes to differentiation arrest, a feature of blastic transformation in chronic myelogenous leukemia.