title: The maturation state of three types of granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells from mouse bone marrow.
abstract: The progenitor cells of neutrophil granulocytes and macrophages which are able to proliferate and differentiate in vitro (CFU-c) form a heterogeneous population. By the use of specific colony stimulating activities and cell separation by equilibrium density centrifugation, three subpopulations of CFU-c can be detected. These three CFU-c are characterized by buoyant densities of 1.070, 1.075 and 1.080 g.cm-3 and by their proliferative response to 18 h postendotoxin serum, colony stimulating factor from extracts of mouse embryos and uteri (CSF-pmue) and erythrocyte lysate, respectively. The three CFU-c are compared with respect to their differentiation potential, the maturation rate of their progeny cells and their proliferation capacity. It is shown that with increasing density of the CFU-c the maturation rate increases (sequential maturation of colonies derived from CFU-c with densities of 1.080, 1.075, 1.070 g.cm-3) and the proliferation capacity decreases (colony size decreases in the sequence of CFU-c with densities 1.070, 1.075, 1.080 g.cm-3). Concerning the differentiation potential it is shown that all three CFU-c detected have the capacity to form granulocytes as well as macrophages. On the basis of these results it is concluded that the CFU-c with densities of 1.070, 1.075 and 1.080 g.cm-3 represent a maturation sequence.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000166:cytology; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors