Spleen-Colony Formation in Anemic Mice of Genotype WW

Regulatory mechanisms affecting the blast stem cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia

Recent studies have indicated the existence of a novel regulatory system governing cell growth and differentiation. The system is based on the cellular homologues of the transforming genes (oncogenes) of retroviruses. Cellular oncogene products include regulators of the cell generation cycle, cell-surface receptors, and growth factors. Preliminary evidence is available that this regulatory system is important in hemopoiesis. In this paper, the biology of the blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia is reviewed. Data is presented indicating that genetic control may be exercised in the nucleus to affect self-renewal, at the cell surface, to mediate cell-to-cell interactions and through the environment by the production of growth factors. These findings support the suggestion that the blast population is a suitable model for studying oncogene-based regulation. Blasts have the further advantage that laboratory observations made with their use can be correlated with the clinical course of the disease.

The stem cell concept revisited: self-renewal capacity is a dynamic property of hemopoietic cells

A rigid developmental program of stem cell division and progressive maturation into blood cells is challenged. It is proposed that the capacity for self-renewal is not limited to pluripotent stem cells but is shared by committed progenitors and even cells of later compartments. The relative probability of self-replication vs maturation in mitotic cells is controlled by extracellular influences. At the cell population level, the balance between proliferation and maturation and between compartments is regulated by feedback interactions. Inducibility of maturation in response to regulatory signals is smaller at earlier stages; consequently, at steady state primitive cells self-renew while their more differentiated progeny are forced to be transitory. The proposed dynamic linkage between compartments can be destabilized in a number of ways, resulting in defective hemopoiesis or leukemia. At all stages hemopoietic cells are able to change their patterns of gene expression, in an inheritable manner, in response to changes in their microenvironment. In particular, the capacity for self-renewal itself can vary even within a conventionally-defined compartment. On this basis of adaptive differentiation and self-renewal it is possible to account for the progression of chronic myelocytic leukemia and its "blastic conversion"; to analyse the hemopoietic system's response to various physiological and experimental perturbations; and to re-interpret the excessive phenotypic plasticity and apparent "lineage infidelity" manifested by leukemic cells and cell lines.

Tissue histamine levels in male and female mast cell deficient mice (W/Wv) and in their littermates (Wv/+, W/+ and +/+)

Histamine levels have been determined in nine tissues of four kinds (W/Wv, Wv/+, W/+, +/+) of WBB6F1 male and female mice, and mast cells have been counted in the skin and the fundus of W/Wv and +/+ mice. By comparison with +/+ mice (1) the association of the two alleles Wv and W induced a drastic decrease in tissues histamine levels and in mast cell number. (2) The allele Wv alone induced a marked decrease in tissue histamine levels but less important than the two alleles W and Wv. (3) In contrast, the allele W alone induced at least in some tissues, an increase in tissue histamine levels. In W/+, Wv/+ and +/+ fertile mice, tissue histamine levels were higher in females than in males. In contrast, in W/Wv mice which are sterile, no difference between males and females was observed.

Regulation of pre-B cell proliferation in bone marrow: immunofluorescence stathmokinetic studies of cytoplasmic mu chain-bearing cells in anti-IgM-treated mice, hematologically deficient mutant mice and mice given sheep red blood cells

To identify factors influencing the in vivo proliferate activity of bone marrow pre-B cells, the metaphase-blocking drug, vincristine sulfate, was injected into (a) mice depleted of B lymphocytes by treatment with anti-mouse IgM antibodies from birth; (b) hematologically deficient W/Wv and Sl/Sld mutants, and (c) mice injected with a foreign agent, sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Subsequently, a quantitative measure of pre-B cell proliferation was provided by examining marrow cells by immunofluorescence labeling for the absolute number of pre-B cells, identified by the presence of cytoplasmic mu chains (c mu) without surface mu (s mu), which had been arrested in metaphase. In anti-IgM-treated mice, some changes were observed in the size of the large pre-B cell population and in the incidence of mitotic cells after vincristine administration, but the overall production rate of pre-B cells did not differ from that in controls given normal rabbit serum. Pre-B cell kinetics in W/Wv and Sl/Sld mice also generally resembled those in homozygous controls. In contrast, after SRBC injection, there was an increase in the rate at which large pre-B cells entered mitosis. Thus, the proliferation of c mu + s mu- bone marrow pre-B cells shows no evidence of feedback control from the mature B lymphocyte pool, as indicated by lack of stimulation of pre-B cell production in anti-IgM-treated mice, and is independent of the hemopoietic defects of W/Wv or Sl/Sld mutants. On the other hand, the increased bone marrow pre-B cell proliferation after SRBC injection demonstrates that the magnitude of B cell genesis in the bone marrow can be influenced by extrinsic agents and thus may be influenced by environmental stimuli.

Failure to demonstrate pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells in mouse brains

Hemopoietic stem cells as defined by the capacity to produce spleen colonies in lethally irradiated recipients were reported by P. F. Bartlett [(1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 2722-2725] to be present in high frequencies in mouse brain. He also reported similar numbers of colony-forming units, spleen (CFU-s), in the brains of Wf/Wf mice, the bone marrow of which lacks detectable spleen colony-forming cells. To verify these observations, single cell suspensions were produced from murine brains by incubation with trypsin and DNase, followed by removal of myelin by Percoll gradient centrifugation. Two to 13 CFU-s were detected per brain. This low number suggested contamination of the brains by either blood or bone marrow leaking from the skull bones during dissection. When the isolated, intact brains were washed carefully in balanced salt solution, the recovered number of CFU-s decreased to 0.1-0.4 per brain. No CFU-s could be detected in the brains of W/Wv mice. It is concluded that the CFU-s observed by Bartlett in preparations of mouse brain did not originate from the brain tissue.

Proliferation and differentiation in culture of mast cell progenitors derived from mast cell-deficient mice of genotype W/Wv

Mice of genotype W/Wv have less than 1% of normal mast cells in the skin, stomach, and cecum. In order to further clarify the mechanism of this deficiency, we studied committed mast cell progenitors and multipotent progenitors, which are capable of mast cell differentiation in clonal culture. The relative concentration of mast cell progenitors in the bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood of W/Wv mice was similar to that of +/+ mice. However, the cellularity of the marrows of W/Wv mice was 54% of that of their normal littermates. Identification of mast cells was established by metachromatic staining with toluidine blue, transmission electron microscopy, and demonstration of membrane receptors for immunoglobulin E. The time course of colony formation and the morphology of W/Wv mast cell colonies in culture was identical to that of normal littermates. The percentages of mast cells in individual multi-lineage colonies were extremely variable. The histamine content of mast cells derived from W/Wv mice was similar to that of mast cells from +/+ mice. These studies demonstrated the normal capacity for differentiation and proliferation in culture of mast cell progenitors from W/Wv mice.

Current considerations of the etiology of aplastic anemia

Aplastic anemia is a disorder characterized by marrow aplasia and pancytopenia. The pathogenetic mechanisms that lead to bone marrow aplasia have been intensively studied. Data obtained from these studies suggest that aplastic anemia is a heterogeneous disorder with regards to pathogenesis. Bone marrow aplasia may result from a number of abnormalities including qualitative or quantitative abnormalities of hematopoietic stem cells, abnormal interaction between bone marrow accessory cells (lymphocytes and macrophages) and hematopoietic stem cells, cytotoxic humoral inhibitors of hematopoiesis, and abnormalities of the bone marrow microenvironment. A number of new therapeutic options have improved the survival of patients with aplastic anemia. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation has actually resulted in the cure of patients. Unfortunately, only a minority of patients have a suitable bone marrow donor and alternate modes of therapy have been sought. Encouraging results have been reported from several centers concerning the use of antilymphocyte serum in patients with aplastic anemia. Certainty of the ultimate long-term benefit of this type of immunosuppressive therapy is not possible until careful, randomized, prospective studies of its use are completed.

Monoclonal derivation of mouse myeloid and lymphoid lineages from totipotent hematopoietic stem cells experimentally engrafted in fetal hosts

Mutant mouse fetuses with a hematopoietic stem cell defect were injected with a mixture of two normal strains of fetal liver cells to test the possibility of seeding with single stem cells and of deriving all hematopoietic lineages clonally. Recipients were either Wf/Wf, with a mild endogenous defect offering only marginal selective advantage to a normal donor cell, or W/W, with a severe defect. Among 11 Wf/Wf animals with long-term grafts, 8 had only one or the other of the donor strains. Some of these individuals must have been seeded by only a single donor cell (P = 0.1); the frequency of this event was at least 20% (90% confidence) and most likely 50% of the cases. Cell-specific strain markers in myeloid and lymphoid lineages reinforced the likelihood that renewal and differentiation had occurred from a totipotent hematopoietic stem cell. In a smaller W/W group, some hosts were seeded by at most two cells (P = 0.1), and single-cell seeding could not be ruled out. The experiment allows stem cell pedigrees to be examined during the normal developmental progression. In both groups observed here, some mice displayed a regular and complementary rise and fall in proportions of cells of different genotypes, thereby suggesting clonal succession in a hierarchy of stem cell compartments. This transplant system also offers advantages for future experiments on regulated expression in vivo of genes transferred (in vitro) into totipotent hematopoietic stem cells.

Survival and repopulation of irradiated 'pre-CFU-c' in mice

Supernatants of murine bone-marrow cultures contain a colony-promoting factor (CPF) which increases the number of granulocyte and macrophage colonies in semi-solid agar cultures in the presence of colony-stimulating factor (CSF). Incubation of bone-marrow cells with CPF results in an increase in the number of granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-c) and the CPF-responsive cells may be younger than the CFU-c. We have investigated the radiosensitivity and the pattern of the recovery after irradiation of CPF-responsive cells. We found that the radiosensitivity of CPF-responsive cells was significantly lower than those of CFU-c, burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-e) and pluripotent stem cells in vivo (CFU-s) and in vitro (CFU-mix). The CPF-responsive cells remained subnormal even at 28 days after irradiation of the mice, a time when the CFU-s and CFU-c had recovered completely. Therefore the CPF-responsive cells may constitute a separate compartment, namely 'pre-CFU-c', in the maturation sequence of granulopoiesis, and this maturation of the 'pre-CFU-c' to CFU-c seems to be highly stimulated after irradiation to counterbalance the influx from CFU-s.

Development of adult bone marrow stem cells in H-2-compatible and -incompatible mouse fetuses

Bone marrow of normal adult mice was found, after transplacental inoculation, to contain cells still able to seed the livers of early fetuses. The recipients' own hematopoietic stem cells, with a W-mutant defect, were at a selective disadvantage. Progression of donor strain cells to the bone marrow, long-term self-renewal, and differentiation into myeloid and lymphoid derivatives was consistent with the engraftment of totipotent hematopoietic stem cells (THSC) comparable to precursors previously identified (4) in normal fetal liver. More limited stem cells, specific for the myeloid or lymphoid cell lineages, were not detected in adult bone marrow. The bone marrow THSC, however, had a generally lower capacity for self-renewal than did fetal liver THSC. They had also embarked upon irreversible changes in gene expression, including partial histocompatibility restriction. While completely allogeneic fetal liver THSC were readily accepted by fetuses, H-2 incompatibility only occasionally resulted in engraftment of adult bone marrow cells and, in these cases, was often associated with sudden death at 3-5 mo. On the other hand, H-2 compatibility, even with histocompatibility differences at other loci, was sufficient to ensure long-term success as often as with fetal liver THSC.

Haematopoietic role for Patch (Ph) revealed by new W mutant (Wct) in mice

A new mutant (Wct) has been identified at theWlocus of the mouse. The homozygote is poorly viable. Whereas the heterozygote (Wct/ +) is only mildly anaemic likeWυ/ +, the double heterozygoteWct+ / +Phis considerably more anaemic thanWυ+ / +Phand it andWsh+ / +Phhave significantly raised leucocyte counts.Wct+ / +Phis also unduly radiosensitive to whole body X-irradiation, 50% dying from haematopoietic failure at a dose of 4·59 ± 0·14 Gy, whereas the median forWct/ + was 6·49 ± 0·28 Gy. Serial blood counts of mice after low- or sub-lethal doses of X-rays revealed significantly more profound depression of counts of both red cells and leucocytes inWct+, and more notably inWct+ / +Ph, than in + / + orWsh/ + (haematologically normal) iso-dosed mice. We conclude that control of haematopoiesis by chromosome 5 is not confined to theWlocus but is shared by the linked genePh(and perhapsRw) and that expression of the change is not limited to the erythron but involves the pluripotent haematopoietic stem cell.

Colony promoting activity and its target 'pre-CFUc' in genetically anemic mice of W/Wv genotype

Incubation of bone marrow cells with supernatant from long-term cultures of bone marrow cells increases the number of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells. This study reveals the presence of target cells of the colony promoting activity (CPA) in W/Wv mouse marrow. It is also shown that CPA does not stimulate erythroid colony formation in vitro.

Hemopoiesis in spleen and bone marrow cultures

Long-term cultures established from spleen cells were compared to those established from bone marrow cells for their ability to maintain hemopoiesis as measured by the presence of hemopoietic progenitor cells (in vitro CFU) and multipotent stem cells (CFU-S). The frequency of both in vitro CFU and CFU-S increased dramatically during the first 2 weeks in the spleen cultures. Following this early peak of activity, the number of progenitors and stem cells declined to undetectable levels by week 6 of culture. During this short phase of hemopoiesis, large amounts of GM-CSF could be detected in the supernatant of the spleen cultures. In contrast, bone marrow cultures did not share this early peak of hemopoiesis; however, they maintained activity for much longer periods of time than did the spleen cultures. When spleen stem cells were seeded onto functional bone marrow adherent cells, spleen-derived in vitro CFU were maintained well beyond week 6 of culture. Spleen cultures established from athymic nu/nu mice showed a greatly reduced ability to support hemopoiesis while those from S1/S1d mice maintained GM-CFU as well as cultures from normal mice.

Host control of susceptibility to erythroleukemia and to the types of leukemia induced by Friend murine leukemia virus: initial and late stages

The genetic control of the susceptibility to early erythroleukemic induction by helper-independent Friend murine leukemia virus was determined to be due to the presence of a single dominant resistant locus. This locus, (termed Fv6), however, governs only resistance to early erythroleukemia, since other types of leukemias developed late in the resistant mice: myelomonocytic leukemia (approximately 70%), T-lymphoid leukemia (approximately 25%) and late erythroleukemia (approximately 10%). Data also indicated that mice with higher DBA/2 (resistant strain) genetic background had an increased frequency of myelomonocytic leukemias. Studies of the hemopoietic modulations indicated that mice that developed early or late erythroleukemia had dramatic increases in erythroid bursts, suggesting that the leukemic blocks are at the level of BFU-E or earlier. High levels of the granulocytic progenitor colonies were also found in mice with late erythroleukemia and myelomonocytic leukemia. Analysis of these leukemias indicate that they are multistage diseases.

Versatile stem cells in bone marrow

The question of whether there is a single pluripotent haemopoietic stem cell or a variety of stem cells each with a capacity for self-replication is still unresolved. Evidence from radiation-chimaeras and from patients with marrow grafts indicates that haemopoietic stem cells are not a homogeneous population. It is suggested that in marrow there is a variety of stem cells, some controlled by recognised factors and others by as yet unknown factors. It is postulated that some of these cells are pluripotent, whereas others are differentiated for a single line, so both polyphyleticists and monophyleticists may have been partly right.

The competitive ability of stem cells from mice with Hertwig's anemia

Mice homozygous for the gene, an, have a macrocytic, normochromic anemia. In this report, attempts have been made to cure Hertwig's anemia (an/an) by injecting genetically normal (+/+) stem cells. The anemia of unirradiated an/an mice was alleviated but not completely cured by injection of as many as 3 X 10(7) +/+ bone marrow cells. Lethal irradiation of the an/an recipients was necessary before injections of 10(7) +/+ marrow cells were effective in normalizing the blood parameters. The inability to achieve normal blood values without first destroying the host's own stem cells suggested that the indigenous an/an cells compete effectively with injected +/+ cells. This hypothesis was tested by injecting varying numbers of stem cells from C57BL/6J-+/+ mice, together with stem cells from either WBB6F1-an/an or, as controls, from their WBB6F1-+/+ littermates, into lethally irradiated hosts. The C57BL/6J and WBB6F1 mice have electrophoretically distinguishable hemoglobins. The an/an cells are able to compete in the repopulation of the host hematopoietic tissue as shown by the presence of WBB6F1 hemoglobin in the recipients. The cells from mice with Hertwig's anemia, however, do not compete as effectively as do the same number of cells from the +/+ littermates. These results indicate that the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells of an/an mice are reduced in number, seeding capacity, or proliferative potential.

Hematopoietic stem cells with high proliferative potential. Assay of their concentration in marrow by the frequency and duration of cure of W/Wv mice

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO APPROACH TWO PRIMARY QUESTIONS CONCERNING HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS (HSC) IN MICE: what is the concentration of HSC with extensive proliferative potential in marrow, and how long can an HSC continue to function in an intact animal? The assay system was the W/W(v) mouse, a mouse with an inherited HSC defect, reflected in a reduction in all myeloid tissue and most particularly in a macrocytic anemia.A single chromosomally marked HSC will reconstitute the defective hematopoietic system of the W/W(v). The concentration of HSC in normal littermate (+/+) marrow was assayed by limiting dilution calculation using cure of W/W(v) as an end point (correction of anemia and erythrocytes' macrocytosis) and found to be approximately 10/10(5). This is significantly less than spleen colony forming cell (CFU-S) concentration: approximately 220/10(5) in +/+ and ranging from 50 to 270/10(5) in various other studies. Blood values were studied at selected intervals for as long as 26 mo. Of 24 initially cured mice, which were observed for at least 2 yr, 75% remained cured. However, of all cured mice, 17 lost the cure, returning to a macrocytic anemic state. Cured mice had normal numbers of nucleated and granulocytic cells per humerus and a normal concentration of CFU-S. However, cure of secondary W/W(v) recipients by this marrow was inefficient compared with the original +/+ marrow. These studies suggest the CFU-S assay over-estimates extensively proliferating HSC or perhaps does not assay such a cell. A single such HSC can not only cure a W/W(v), but can sustain the cure for 2 yr or more, despite a relative deficit of cells capable of curing other W/W(v). However, the duration of sustained cure may be finite.

Erythroleukemia induction by Friend leukemia virus. A host gene locus controlling early anemia or polycythemia and the rate of proliferation of late erythroid cells

This report confirms that the Fv-5 locus controls the types of erythropoiesis induced by Friend erythroleukemia virus (FLV) (21) and extends the study to investigate the mode of action of this locus. With the use of FLV obtained by a variety of procedures, we showed that the polycythemia spleen focus-forming component (SFFVp) was responsible for the contrasting changes of hematocrits observed in FV-Pp (polycythemia strain)-infected DBA/2 (Fv-5pp) or CBA (Fv-5aa) mice. These changes in hematocrits were found to be a direct result of the rise in circulating reticulocytes and erythrocytes in DBA/2 mice and a corresponding drop of these erythroid cells in CBA mice 2 wk after infection. Examination of the FV-P-induced cellular changes indicated that dramatic increase in erythropoietin (epo)-independent erythroid precursor (CFU-E*) cells was detected in the spleens and marrow of both strains of mice. The epo responsiveness of the CFU-E in the uninfected and FV-P-infected CBA and DBA/2 mice was also very similar. Similar to FLV-infected DBA/2 mice, the FV-P-infected CBA mice also developed tumorogenic cells (CFU-FV) relatively early after infection (4-6 wk). Study of the physiological and pathological changes in the marrows and spleens of these infected mice indicated that significant differences were found in the spleens of the two strains of mice. The percent of reticulocytes in the spleen cells of CBA mice remained between 10 and 20%, and level of the DBA/2 mice increased to approximately 50%. This higher rate of erythropoiesis was also reflected in the significantly higher rate of uptake of 59Fe in the spleens of the DBA/2 mice. These results suggest that the Fv-5 locus might control the hematocrit levels of these mice by regulating the rates of erythropoiesis in the spleen levels of these mice, probably by affecting the rate of proliferation of an erythroid cell or cells. The erythroid cell(s) affected is likely to be more mature than the erythroid progenitor, CFU-E, as the levels of CFU-E in these two strains of mice were similar. The hypothesis that Fv-5 may control the rates of proliferation of a late erythroid (cell(s) is also supported by the significantly higher spleen weights found in the infected DBA/2 (approximately 2.5 g/spleen) mice than in the CBA (approximately 1 g/spleen) strain.

Partitioning of bone marrow into stem cell regulatory domains

To examine the hypothesis that bone marrow consists of discrete stem cell regulatory volumes or domains, we studied spleen colony-forming unit (CFU-S) population growth kinetics in unirradiated WBB6F1-W/Wv mice receiving various doses of +/+ bone marrow cells. Assay of femoral marrow CFU-S content in the eight recipient dose groups revealed a family of growth curves having an initial dose-independent exponential phase and a subsequent dose-dependent deceleration phase. CFU-S content at the growth transition (inflection point) was not a simple linear function of inoculum dose but was shown rather to reflect a random distribution of initially seeded donor CFU-S in discrete volumes of recipient bone marrow. The inoculum dose resulting in a mean of 1 CFU-S per bone marrow sampling unit was estimated to be 17 x 10(6) bone marrow cells, corresponding to a total marrow uptake of approximately 5100 CFU-S (based on a seeding efficiency factor of 10%). If we assume single-hit kinetics, it follows that the recipient W/Wv bone marrow may contain approximately 5100 domains in which stem cell proliferation is geared to the density of the stem cell population. When the various inocula were corrected for multiple seeding in a given domain, the mean inflection point per domain was similar and indicative of five or so divisions before departure from exponential growth at approximately 20% of final CFU-S content 8 days after bone marrow injection. The partitioning of bone marrow into highly localized functional units is consistent with the putative regulatory role of short-range interactions between stem cells and essential stromal elements.

Presence of pluripotent haemopoietic precursors in vitro (CFU-mix) in haemopoietic tissues from mice of W/Wv genotype

The presence or absence of haemopoietic precursors, which produce mixed colonies in vitro (CFU-mix) was examined in the bone marrow and spleen of (WB X C57BL/6) F1-W/Wv mice. Despite the failure of macroscopically evident colony-formation in the spleens of irradiated mice, haemopoietic cells of W/Wv mice did produce macroscopically-evident mixed colonies containing erythroid cells, macrophages, and often megakaryocytes, in culture medium. The size and constitution of mixed colonies derived from W/Wv mice were comparable to those of mixed colonies from congenic +/+ mice. The present results appear consistent with in vivo haemopoiesis in the W/Wv mice, which is obviously deficient, but sufficient for survival.

Haematopoiesis in mice heterozygous for the W trait: defective formation of transient endogenous spleen colonies

It has been determined that W/+ and Wv/+ heterozygous mice, as compared with normal +/+ homozygous littermates, form significantly lower numbers of transient 5-day endogenous spleen colonies in response to X-irradiation. This defect was evident for doses of irradiation between 2-6 Gy (200-600 rad) and was associated with a slightly increased radiosensitivity of the assayed precursor cells (TE-CFU) in W heterozygotic mice. Moreover, the defect was transplantable, i.e., intrinsic to the marrow cells and not to the microenvironment, and was not associated with a similar decrease in cells which form erythropoietic bursts in vitro (BFUe). This study provides a cellular basis for increased radiosensitivity of W/+ and Wv/+ mice and suggests that the 'W' mutation is semi-dominant, both with respect to the white spotting and TE-CFU formation.

Colony forming units and haematopoietic stem cells in osteoclastopoiesis

HSC and CFUs are not identical. HSC are no longer considered to be a homogeneous population but an age-structured spectrum of cells (Schofield, 1978). CFUs, which have been identified only in rodents and with certainty only in mice, may be a sub-set of HSC required by mice, perhaps controlled by the W locus and virtually eliminated in double W mutants. A dichotomy of CFUs and HSC has also been demonstrated by Wiktor-Jedrzejczak et al. (1977); ++ bone marrow treated with anti-Thy 1.2 serum lost its curative properties for W Wv anaemic mice with CFUs being unaffected.

The persisting (P) cell: histamine content, regulation by a T cell-derived factor, origin from a bone marrow precursor, and relationship to mast cells

Histamine was detected at levels of 100 ng/10(6) cells in the metachromatic granules of the persisting (P) cell, which appears in cultures of murine lymphoid or bone marrow cells and is capable of long-term growth in vitro in the presence of a T cell-derived growth factor. This factor, which we termed P-cell stimulating factor, was distinct from t-cell growth factor and had an apparent molecular weight of 25,000-30,000. P cells did not originate from Thy.1-positive cells nor was the thymus necessary for the development of their precursors. Moreover, P cells grew directly from colonies generated in agar cultures of bone marrow cells, the nature of the colonies indicating that P cells shared a common precursor with hemopoietic cells. Mutant Wf/Wf mice, although deficient in certain mast cells, possessed P-cell precursors. It is hypothesized that P cells are related to a specialized subset of mast cells, derived from a bone marrow progenitor but regulated by activated T cells.

The responses of hemopoietic precursor cells in mice to bacterial cell-wall components

The influence upon different cellular and humoral parameters of hemopoiesis of three structurally unrelated, highly purified bacterial cell-wall components (BCWC) was investigated. The spleens of C57BL/6 mice assayed 6 days after the injection of either lipid A or outer-membrane lipoportein, but not murein, showed a marked increase in granulocyte-macrophage, eosinophil, and megakaryocyte progenitor cell levels. The number of pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) also increased in the spleens of mice treated with either lipid A or lipoprotein. Similar results were obtained following the injection of lipoprotein or lipid A into CBA or C57BL/6.nu mice. Genetically anemic Wf/Wf mice were found to have spontaneously elevated numbers of splenic progenitor cells, which increased further after the injection of lipid A. The proportions of the different splenic progenitor cell types were similar in both untreated and lipid A treated Wf/Wf mice, and in normal littermate controls. When tested in vitro, unfractionated or partially purified post-lipid A serum was found to stimulate the growth of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (GM-CFC), but no detectable stimulation of eosinohphil, megakryocyte, or erythroid progenitor cells was observed. The data suggest that the rise in splenic levels of the different progenitor cells is not mediated by the corresponding types of CSF, but more likely by proliferation and differentiation of CFU-S.

Aplastic anemia: recent advances in pathogenesis and treatment

Successful bone marrow transplantation and bone marrow culturing techniques have generated a large body of research into the pathogenesis and treatment of aplastic anemia. Most prominent has been the emphasis on autoimmune mechanisms. Several etiologic types and diagnostic criteria are discussed, the evidence supporting immune and other mechanisms of pathogenesis is examined, and results of current therapeutic trials are addressed.

Anemia- and polycythemia-inducing isolates of Friend spleen focus-forming virus. Biological and molecular evidence for two distinct viral genomes

Two distinct clones of Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV), differing in their erythroleukemic potential, are described. These isolates have been cloned free of their associated helper viruses and shown to be replication-defective. Both SFFV isolates have been rescued from rat fibroblast nonproducer cell clones with cloned replication-competent viruses, F-MuLVA and F-MuLVP, obtained from the anemia- or polycythemia-inducing isolates of Friend virus complex, respectively. These rescued viruses induce a rapid proliferative disease associated with the appearance of macroscopic spleen foci and splenomegaly. In addition, each is subject to regulation by the W, Steel (Sl), and Fv-2 host gene loci. These two isolates of SFFV can, however, be distinguished by both biological and molecular criteria. Friend SFFVP induces a rapid polycythemia associated with the appearance of large numbers of erythropoietin (EPO)-independent erythroid colony-forming cells in the marrow and spleen. In contrast, SFFVA induces a rapid anemia associated with a progressive decrease in the number of EPO-dependent erythroid colony-forming cells in marrow, and a rapid increase in the number of EPO-dependent erythroid colony-forming cells in spleen. Furthermore, the nature of the disease induced by the two isolates of SFFV is independent of the Friend helper virus: SFFVP, rescued from a nonproducer cell clone with either F-MuLVA or F0MuLVP, induced a polycythemic transformation, whereas SFFVA, rescued with either F-MuLVA or F-MuLVP, induced an anemic transformation. The two Friend SFFV isolates can also be discriminated on the basis of translational products encoded by their gag and env genes: SFFVP encodes the amino-terminal gag-gene protein p15, whereas SFFVA encodes the gag-gene proteins p15, p12, and p30. In addition, the SFFV isolates encode nonidentical 55,000-mol wt env gene-related proteins that can be distinguished by analysis of their methionine-containing tryptic peptides.

Monoclonal rat anti-mouse brain antibody detects Abelson murine leukemia virus target cells in mouse bone marrow

We report the characterization of a monoclonal antibody which detects a surface antigen expressed by the bone marrow target cell of A-MuLV. Treatment of bone marrow cells with this antibody and complement results in greater than loss 95% loss of the A-MuLV-derived in vitro transformed foci. The surface antigen detected by this antibody is also expressed on A-MuLV-transformed lymphoid cell lines, thymocytes, and some peripheral lymphocytes. This antigen is not expressed, however, by the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell defined by the spleen colony-forming assay. We present evidence that the antigen detected is neither a virally encoded product, nor exclusively associated with the BALB/c genome.

Different marrow cell number requirements for the haemopoietic colony formation and the curve of the W/Wv anemia

The lowest cell number in the normal marrow transplant, which allows the cure of W/Wv anemia was found to be between 10(4) and 10(5). This exceeds by several times the lowest cell number necessary for the haemopoietic colony formation. Therefore, either the colony forming cell is not the haemopoietic stem cell but rather its progeny, or this cell requires an aid from some other cells to exert is activity.

Ultrastructural analysis of haemopoiesis in W/Wv anaemic mice

This study is an ultrastructural analysis of haemopoiesis in W/Wv anaemic mice in whom the anaemia is caused by a defect in the haemopoietic stem cell. Cellularity of marrow is normal but there is an increase in the proportion of less mature cells suggesting a delay in maturation. In addition, heterochromatin constitutes a higher proportion than normal of the nucleus in most stages of maturation suggesting a defect in DNA activation. The findings suggest that in this strain not only the differentiation of the haemopoietic stem cell but also the maturation of the committed cell is defective.

Normal and leukemic hemopoiesis compared

Using colony assays for human erythropoietic (BFU-E, CFU-E) and granulopoietic (CFU-C) progenitors, normal and leukemic myelopoietic differentiation were compared; similar patterns were found in both. However, the origin of blast cells characteristic of the disease could not be established indicating the need for a direct approach to these cells. A colony assay for blast cells in acute myeloblastic leukemia is described. Blast cell colony-formation is significantly correlated with blast cell number, and the colonies contain cells of blast like morphology without differentiation markers. It is proposed that this method, taken in conjunction with results from assays of myelopoiesis and lymphopoiesis, may provide a more complete picture of leukemic differentiation. It is anticipated that such a model will be useful in devising new therapies.