Expression of the c-fos protooncogene by human and murine erythroblasts
JF Caubet, MT Mitjavila, A Dubart, D Roten, SC Weil and W Vainchenker
INSERM U.91, Hopital Henri Mondor, Creteil, France.
The expression of the c-fos protooncogene was investigated by in situ
hybridization in normal murine bone marrow cells. A strong signal was found
in murine marrow cells having the morphologic features of erythroblasts.
This result was confirmed in human marrow cells using a double labeling
technique (in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry). A majority (70%)
of the cells expressing c-fos mRNA were glycophorin A-positive. In
contrast, granulocytic precursors (CD 15-positive) or monocytes and their
precursors (CD 14-positive cells) did not significantly hybridize with the
c-fos probe. In addition, c-fos mRNA (2.2Kb) was detected by Northern
blotting in RNA extracted from homogeneous populations of erythroblasts
obtained by immune panning from fetal liver and from adult blood
BFU-E-derived colonies. Fos protein was also detected in erythroblasts by
immunofluorescence. The high level of c-fos mRNA previously found in
hematopoietic tissue should therefore be related to the transcription of
the c-fos gene during terminal erythroid differentiation.
Volume 74,
Issue 3,
pp. 947-951,
08/15/1989
Copyright © 1989 by The American Society of Hematology
