Open AccessANALYSIS OF PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF FOETAL GRANULOCYTE‐MACROPHAGE PROGENITOR CELLS IN HAEMOPOIETIC TISSUE *
Author(s) -
Moore M. A. S.,
Williams N.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.1973.tb01634.x
Subject(s) - biology , progenitor cell , granulopoiesis , granulocyte , erythropoiesis , yolk sac , andrology , immunology , spleen , macrophage , haematopoiesis , stem cell , fetus , microbiology and biotechnology , in vitro , medicine , embryo , biochemistry , pregnancy , anemia , genetics
Analysis of in vitro colony formation in agar cultures of foetal haemopoietic tissues of eight mammalian species has shown that granulocyte‐macrophage progenitor cells are present in foetal liver, yolk sac, marrow and spleen in numbers approaching the incidence in adult marrow. Such characteristics as buoyant density, growth rate and differentiation served to distinguish foetal from adult colony forming cells (CFCs). Cell cycle analysis performed by exposing haemopoietic cells to high doses of tritiated thymidine in vitro showed that foetal CFC proliferation in species of short gestation (rabbit, rat, mouse) approached or exceeded that observed in adult marrow. In contrast, in species of long gestation (human, monkey, calf, lamb, guinea‐pig) a period of variable duration was observed when foetal liver CFCs entered a non‐cycling G 0 or blocked G 1 phase. In these species foetal liver CFCs were found to be proliferating actively early in gestation and following the non‐cycling phase again re‐entered a proliferative state associated with onset of active granulopoiesis in foetal marrow and possible migration of CFC from liver to marrow. These results indicate the existence of granulocyte‐macrophage progenitor populations displaying foetal characteristics and adapted to particular stages of haemopoietic development, a situation which closely parallels that reported for erythropoiesis.