Studies on the target cell for the Friend virus (FV-P strain) using the CFU-E technique.

In order to characterize the target cell for the polycythemia inducing Friend virus (FV-P) in vivo, mice were treated by induction of plethorism, bleeding, Actinomycin D, and Busulfan before virus infection. The development of the Friend leukemia was then studied mainly using the CFUE technique for erythroid colony growth in vitro. This technique allows the quantification of a new cell type, an erythropoietin (Ep) independent colony forming cell. These Ep independent colonies were taken as marker for the disease. Their number with time after infection was correlated with the compartment size of pluripotent, granuloid committed and erythroid stem cells at the time of infection. The results indicate that the development of the Friend leukemia does not require the actual presence of CFUE, as seen using Actinomycin D, and is not correlated with the number of pluripotent or granuloid stem cells, as seen after Busulfan. It is, however, dependent on the erythropoietic state of the animal, as seen in plethoric mice and mice after bleeding. It is, therefore, concluded that the target cell for FV-P is located within the Ep-responsive cell compartment, between early (BFUE) and late (CFUE) erythroid precursor cells.