Altered stem cell (CFU-S) function following infection of hematopoietic
cells with a virus carrying V-src
D Boettiger and TM Dexter
Long-term murine bone marrow cultures were used to support the growth and
development of hematopoietic cells. After hematopoiesis was established,
the cultures were infected with a recombinant murine amphotropic virus
carrying the avian sarcoma virus src gene and the CFU- S kinetics were
examined. The CFU-S from the src-infected cultures displayed a reduced
seeding efficiency in the standard spleen colony assay. The self-renewal
capacity of these CFU-S was tested by their ability to reestablish
hematopoiesis when serially transplanted on irradiated bone marrow cultures
and by serial passage in spleens of irradiated mice. In both tests, cells
from the src-infected cultures exhibited an enhanced ability to sustain a
high level of self-renewal. The other property of stem cells which may be
measured is the probability of self-renewal at each cell division which
dictates the distribution between stem cells and differentiated type
progeny. CFU-S from the src-infected cultures had higher average
probabilities of self- renewal and therefore reduced differentiation. These
differences suggest that expression of src had indirectly or directly
altered the normal differentiation program of the stem cells.
Volume 67,
Issue 2,
pp. 398-405,
02/01/1986
Copyright © 1986 by The American Society of Hematology
