Rescue of myeloid lineage-committed preprogenitor cells from cytomegalovirus-infected bone marrow stroma

The effect of murine cytomegalovirus on myelopoiesis was studied in
long-term bone marrow culture to find an in vitro correlate for the
lethal virus interference with bone marrow reconstitution (W.
Mutter, M. J. Reddehase, F. W. Busch, H.-J. Bühring, and U. H.
Koszinowski, J. Exp. Med. 167:1645-1658, 1988). The in vitro
generation of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (CFU-GM)
discontinued after infection of the stromal cell layer, whereas the
proliferation and differentiation of CFU-GM to granulocyte-monocyte
colonies remained unaffected. A protocol was established to probe
the functional integrity of earlier hematopoietic cells. Pre-CFU-GM
(the progenitors of the CFU-GM) could be recovered from an infected
bone marrow donor culture by transfer onto an inductive recipient
stromal cell layer. Thus, at least in vitro, infection of bone
marrow stroma appears to be the only cause of the defect in
myelopoiesis.