Induction of differentiation of HL-60 human myeloid cells profoundly affected expression of calreticulin, a Ca2؉ -binding endoplasmic reticulum chaperone. Induction with Me 2 SO or retinoic acid reduced levels of calreticulin protein by ϳ60% within 4 days. Pulse-chase studies indicated that labeled calreticulin decayed at similar rates in differentiated and undifferentiated cells (t1 ⁄2 ϳ4.6 days), but the biosynthetic rate was <10% of control after 4 days. Differentiation also induced a rapid decline in calreticulin mRNA levels (90% reduction after 1 day) without a decrease in transcript stability (t1 ⁄2 ϳ5 h). Nuclear run-on analysis demonstrated rapid downregulation of gene transcription (21% of control at 2 h). Differentiation also greatly reduced the Ca 2؉ content of the cells (25% of control), although residual Ca 2؉ pools remained sensitive to thapsigargin, ionomycin, and inositol trisphosphate. Progressive decreases were also observed in levels of calnexin and ERp57, whereas BiP/ GRP78 and protein disulfide isomerase were only modestly affected. Ultrastructural studies showed a substantial reduction in endoplasmic reticulum content of the cells. Thus, terminal differentiation of myeloid cells was associated with decreased endoplasmic reticulum content, selective reductions in molecular chaperones, and diminished intracellular Ca 2؉ stores, perhaps reflecting an endoplasmic reticulum remodeling program as a prominent feature of granulocytic differentiation.Calreticulin is a major Ca 2ϩ -binding protein present in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) 1 of virtually all cell types (1-3). The cDNA sequence predicts an ϳ47-kDa acidic protein with a zonal structure featuring a globular N-terminal domain, a proline-rich P domain, and a highly acidic C domain terminating in a KDEL motif, the ER retention signal (3, 4).Biophysical studies show calreticulin to be a highly asymmetric molecule consistent with this predicted three domain structure. Calreticulin binds Ca 2ϩ with both high and low affinities and with high capacity. A single high affinity site (K d ϳ1 M) is located within the P domain of the molecule and multiple low affinity sites (K d ϳ2 mM, 20 -25 mol of Ca 2ϩ /mol of protein) are present in the highly acidic C domain (3,4). The N domain contains at least one site for binding Zn 2ϩ , which appears to involve 4 of the histidine residues in this region (5, 6). Binding of these ions affects the conformation and stability of the protein (7).Numerous and apparently unrelated functions have been ascribed to calreticulin since it was first identified, but its roles in the regulation of Ca 2ϩ homeostasis and as a molecular chaperone of nascent glycoproteins are the two functions that have been most extensively characterized. Calreticulin appears to regulate intracellular Ca 2ϩ homeostasis through more than one mechanism. The high Ca 2ϩ -binding capacity of calreticulin suggests that it acts as a Ca 2ϩ store or buffer within the ER, and there is evidence that in at least some cell types it is a main so...