Proliferation and cell death of embryonic primitive erythrocytes.
Erythropoietin (EPO) is the principal regulator for the production of adult-type definitive erythrocytes (EryD). EPO not only stimulates both the proliferation and differentiation of EryD progenitors, but also maintains the viability of EryD progenitors. Compared to the abundant knowledge about the function of EPO in EryD production, the roles of EPO in the production of embryonic-type primitive erythrocytes (EryP) are less clear. The effects of EPO on EryP proliferation and differentiation were investigated using EryP purified from developing mouse embryos and the cells obtained from mouse embryonic stem cells using an in vitro differentiation induction. Immature EryP of both in vivo and in vitro origin responded to EPO stimulation and underwent apoptosis with EPO deprivation. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the cultures with and without EPO, when fully mature EryP were examined, that is, EryP lost its dependency on EPO stimulation with maturation. These results show that EPO functions as a survival factor for immature embryonic EryP as well as immature EryD progenitors.
Kimura
T
T
Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Sonoda
Y
Y
Iwai
N
N
Satoh
M
M
Yamaguchi-Tsukio
M
M
Izui
T
T
Suda
M
M
Sasaki
K
K
Nakano
T
T
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
D004921:Erythropoietin