Reconstitution of the W/W(v) stem cell differentiation defect by infection with Rauscher leukemia virus

article
Hematopoietic stem cells of W/W(v) mice failed to produce macroscopically visible hematopoietic spleen colonies in irradiated recipient mice. Infection of W/W(v) mice of the spleen focus-forming virus-susceptible genotype Fv-2(ss) (DBA/2) or Fv-2(rs) (BD2F1) with Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) restored the spleen colony-forming capacity of the stem cells. The resulting spleen colonies had normal size and cellularity; the frequency of and ratio between granulocyte-macrophage and erythroid progenitor cells were also normal, without excessive production of erythroid cells. The frequency of spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S) appeared to be strongly reduced in W/W(v) mice. The seeding fraction of RLV-infected W/W(v) stem cells in the recipient spleens did not differ from that of uninfected or RLV-infected +/+ stem cells. At equivalent numbers of CFU-S, spleen suspensions of RLV-infected W/W(v) mice were equally effective as +/+ control suspensions in protecting irradiated mice from death due to bone marrow failure. Thus the number of CFU-S observed appeared to be predictive for the number of W/W(v) cells required for effective radioprotection. In irradiated W/W(v) mice that received transplants of RLV-infected W/W(v) cells, circulating erythrocyte numbers approached those of control mice; the erythrocytes were of normal size, in contrast to the macrocytic red cells of untreated W/W(v) mice. The reduced frequency of CFU-S in RLV-infected W/W(v) mice can be readily explained by a reduced self-replicating capacity, attributable to the W/W(v) genes, which was not reconstituted by infection with RLV. The data indicate a direct involvement of pluripotent stem cells upon infection with RLV.
TNO Identifier
229771
ISSN
00278874
Source
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 75(2), pp. 361-368.
Pages
361-368
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