title: Formation of factor-independent hematopoietic multilineage colonies after Abelson virus infection.
abstract: Yolk-sac-derived hematopoietic cells were infected with a helper-free stock of Abelson virus (A-MuLV). After infection, cells were plated in a clonogenic methylcellulose culture in the absence of exogenous growth factors such as interleukin 3 (IL 3) and erythropoietin (Epo). No colonies were observed in cultures without viral infection, whereas factor-independent colonies were consistently observed with virus-infected cultures. The number of colonies was linearly correlated with the number of cells plated. Erythroid-mix colonies consisting mostly of erythroblasts, macrophages, and mast cells could be observed. Tumorigenic, continuously growing mast cell lines could be generated at high frequency from these erythroid-mix colonies after they were initially passaged in the presence of an irradiated feeder layer for 4 to 8 weeks. Southern blot analysis of the DNA from five of these lines examined were all shown to contain integrated A-MuLV proviral DNA. These data are evidence that A-MuLV can directly infect embryonic multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells and drive them to differentiate to various progeny cells without exogenous growth factors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruscetti
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000011:Abelson murine leukemia virus; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology*; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances