HB-F PRODUCTION IN ENDOGENOUS COLONIES OF POLYCYTHEMIA-VERA

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (3) , 446-454
Abstract
Fetal Hb [HbF] was studied in endogenous colonies produced in plasma clot and methylcellulose cultures of circulating progenitors from patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Analysis of globin chain synthesis showed that .gamma. chains constituted from 13-42% of the non-.alpha. chains produced in cultured cells, whereas from 27% to over 50% of the endogenous colonies contained Hb F, as indicated by the fluorescent antibody probe. Since the endogenous colonies in PV cultures originate from the abnormal PV clone, the findings provide direct evidence that a single pluripotent stem cell can have committed progeny that differ in their expressions of the Hb F production program.