3 STAGES OF ERYTHROPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELL-DIFFERENTIATION DISTINGUISHED BY A NUMBER OF PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGIC PROPERTIES

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  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (3) , 527-537
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that erythroid precursors at sequential stages of differentiation along the red cell pathway can be distinguished by differences in the size and maturation kinetics of the colonies to which they give rise in vitro. Using criteria based on these 2 parameters, it is possible to identify 3 distinct erythroid progenitor cell populations in the mouse, known as day 8 BFU-E [burst-forming units-erythroid], day 3 BFU-E and CFU-E [colony-forming units-erythroid]. These cell types, differ in a number of other respects, including progenitor cell size, sensitivity to cycle-active agents, response to plethora and effects of the W/Wv genotype. A comparison of the differences found between day 8 BFU-E and day 3 BFU-E on the 1 hand and those distinguishing day 3 BFU-E and CFU-E on the other shows that early erythropoietic cell differentiation apparently involves a series of changes that take place long before competence to synthesize Hb becomes manifest.