We studied monocytic differentiation of primary mouse progenitor cells to understand molecular mechanisms of differentiation. We found a tightly controlled non-apoptotic activation of caspase-3 that correlated with differentiation. Although caspase activity was already detected during monocytic differentiation, a caspase-3 target has not been identified yet. We show that hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is processed towards its N-and C-terminal fragments during monocytic differentiation. While HPK1 is an immunoreceptor-proximal kinase in T and B cells, its role in myeloid cells is elusive. Here, we show that the N-terminal cleavage product, HPK1-N, comprising the kinase domain, confers progenitor cell survival independent of the growth factor IL-3. Furthermore, HPK1-N causes differentiation of progenitor cells towards the monocytic lineage. In contrast to full-length kinase, HPK1-N is constitutively active causing sustained JNK activation, Bad phosphorylation and survival. Blocking of caspase activity during differentiation of primary mouse progenitor cells leads to reduced HPK1-N levels, suppressed JNK activity and attenuated monocytic differentiation. Our work explains growth factor-independent survival during monocytic differentiation by caspase-mediated processing of HPK1 towards HPK1-N. Cell Death and Differentiation (2007) 14, 568-575. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402042; published online 6 October 2006Within the hematopoietic system lineage commitment, differentiation and proliferation are precisely balanced throughout life, resulting in adjusted levels of myeloid and lymphoid cells. A complicated network of cytokines essentially contributes to hematopoietic homeostasis. Myeloid progenitor cells and myeloid-like cell lines respond to the cytokine interleukine-3 (IL-3) with proliferation and survival. 1 While removal of IL-3 results in cell death via apoptosis, suppression of apoptosis allows differentiation of the mouse hematopoietic progenitor cell line FDC-P1 in the absence of IL-3. 2 Monocytic differentiation of primary bone marrow and fetal liver progenitors or myeloid cell lines can be induced by IL-3 withdrawal and stimulation with monocyte-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). 3 Monocytic differentiation is accompanied by caspase activation; 4,5 however, the molecular targets of caspase activity during monocytic differentiation have not been identified.Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is comprised of a catalytic domain with extensive homology to the Sterile 20 kinase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a Cterminally located regulatory domain, called citron homology domain. 6 Ectopic expression renders full-length HPK1 active in epithelial cells resulting in selective activation of the JNK and the NFkB pathways. 7,8 Upon caspase-3 cleavage the N-terminal kinase domain of HPK1 (HPK1-N) is separated from the C-terminus (HPK1-C) resulting in suppression of NFkB. 8 In non-stimulated lymphocytes, HPK1 kinase activity is hardly detectable, but antigen receptor crosslinking leads to profound HPK1...