Isolation of transplantable erythroleukemia cells from mice infected with helper-independent Friend murine leukemia virus

The Friend virus complex contains a helper-independent retrovirus, F-MuLV, and a replication-defective retrovirus, SFFV. Murine erythroleukemia cell lines (MEL) have been isolated previously from the leukemic tissues of mice infected with such stocks of Friend virus complex. Since our laboratory has shown that either F-MuLV or SFFV can induce a lethal erythroproliferative disease, it has been unclear which of the properties of conventional MEL cells were causally related to the infection of these cells by F-MuLV and which properties were related to the infection of these cells by SFFV. In this article, we have focused on the helper-independent component of the Friend virus complex, F-MuLV clone 57, which has recently been purified by molecular cloning. We report a method for the reproducible isolation of a new type of murine erythroleukemia cell that can be isolate from mice infected with F-MuLV clone 57. We have designated these cells as 57 TP-1, indicating their origin from mice infected with F-MuLV clone 57 and their characteristics as transplantable erythroleukemia cells. Upon subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, or intravenous inoculation of these cells, 57 TP-1 cells grow in the hematopoietic organs of the recipient mice. No subcutaneous or intraperitoneal nodules occur. Both F-MuLV and a Friend MCF virus can be detected in these cells, but no evidence to SFFV can be found.