Friend virus-induced erythroleukemia: a model system to study erythroid differentiation and leukemia development

Since 1957, studies of Friend erythroleukemia have contributed greatly to research focused on erythroid differentiation, oncogenic retroviruses, and leukemia development. Infection with the Friend virus complex interferes with both proliferation and differentiation of the erythroid compartment. In reviewing this system, recent results concerning (1) sensitivity to erythropoietin and activation of the erythropoietin receptor during Friend-virus induced tumorigenicity, (2)oncogene and tumor suppressor genes expression, and (3) modulation of expression of transferring receptor and ferritin during the course of Friend erythroleukemia cells differentiation have been analysed. These results have furthered our understanding of both erythroleukemia development as well as the control mechanism(s)of cell growth and erythroid differentiation.