Abelson antigen is expressed on hematopoietic spleen colony-forming cells from mice carrying the Av-2S virus sensitivity gene.

Abelson antigen is a cell-surface determinant specifically induced by the Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV); this antigen is also expressed on uninfected bone marrow of BALB/c mice. Antisera that contained antibody to Abelson antigen were cytotoxic for the spleen colony-forming cells (CFU-S) of adult bone marrow from BALB/c mice. Absorption tests with appropriate tissues and direct cytotoxic tests with bone marrow CFU-S from several mouse strains confirmed that the sensitivity of BALB/c CFU-S to lysis by anti-Abelson-antigen antisera was due to expression of Abelson antigen. Spleen or bone marrow from BALB/c mice undergoing hematopoietic regeneration amplified Abelson antigen expression, although no expression of Abelson antigen was observed on regenerating C57BL/B6 bone marrow or spleen. The presence of Abelson antigen on bone marrow cells of seven recombinant inbred strains coincided with the inheritance of sensitivity alleles at the Av-2 locus, a gene that determines susceptibility to A-MuLV lymphoma induction. These results indicate that expression of Ableson antigen may have a physiologic function in hematopoietic differentiation and a pathologic role in A-MuLV lymphomagenesis.