title: Expression and distribution of the Kit receptor in bovine bone marrow cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the expression and distribution of the Kit receptor in bovine bone marrow cells (BMC) and to define the function of its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Six 7- to 70-day-old healthy male Holstein-Friesian calves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression and distribution of the Kit receptor were assessed by use of flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the bovine Kit protein. Using Giemsa-stained centrifuged preparations, the histologic appearance of Kit receptor positive (Kit+) BMC were evaluated. Semisolid cultures supplemented with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and SCF were used to measure the colony formation capacity of Kit+ BMC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Kit receptor was expressed on approximately 18% of total BMC. Most of Kit+ BMC did not coexpress lineage markers, but a small subset of this population did coexpress CD3. The Kit+CD3- BMC were a heterogeneous cell population comprising blast-like cells such as myeloblasts, promyelocytes, rubriblasts, and prorubricytes. Conversely, Kit+CD3+ BMC had a lymphocyte-like appearance. Kit+ BMC formed colonies in semisolid culture with G-CSF, whereas Kit- BMC failed to grow. Addition of SCF to G-CSF resulted in superadditive enhancement in colony numbers and size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Kit receptor is expressed primarily on immature blood cells in bovine bone marrow, and Kit+ BMC contain hematopoietic progenitor cells that are reactive to G-CSF. In addition, SCF synergizes with G-CSF to stimulate colony formation by these cells. Our results suggest that the Kit receptor and its ligand, SCF, are involved in early stages of granulopoiesis in calves.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hikono
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit