In vitro colony assay for a new class of megakaryocyte precursor: colony-forming unit megakaryocyte (CFU-M).
A plasma culture system has been used successfully to grow and quantitate megakaryocyte colonies from mouse bone marrow following their staining for acetylcholinesterase activity in situ. Colonies averaging about six acetylcholinesterase-positive cells appear with a peak incidence after 4 days in culture with a plating efficiency of one colony formed for every 10(4) nucleated cells plated.
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase