Haematopoiesis In Mice Heterozygous For the W Trait: Defective Formation of Transient Endogenous Spleen Colonies

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Abstract
W/+ and WV/+ heterozygous mice, as compared with normal +/+ homozygous littermates, form significantly lower numbers of transient 5 day endogenous spleen colonies in response to X-irradiation. This defect was evident for doses of irradiation between 2-6 Gy [gray] (200 -600 rad) and was associated with a slightly increased radiosensitivity of the assayed precursor cells (TE-CFU [transient endogenous spleen colony forming units]) in W heterozygotic mice. The defect was also transplantable, i.e., intrinsic to the marrow cells and not to the microenvironment, and was not associated with a similar decrease in cells which form erythropoietic bursts in vitro (BFUe). A cellular basis for increased radiosensitivity of W/+ and WV/+ mice is provided, suggesting that the W mutation is semi-dominant, both with respect to the white spotting and TE-CFU formation.