The interaction of the erythropoietin receptor and gp55

Friend virus induced erythroleukaemia can be conveniently divided into a first stage and a second stage. The first stage results from the mitogenic stimulation of EPO-R by gp55. In the second stage, multiple proviral integrations appear to result in further transformation of the SFFV infected erythroblast to a leukaemogenic state. The first stage results from EPO-R activation. After retroviral entry, mediated through an unknown receptor, and after cDNA synthesis and proviral integration, viral proteins are synthesized. Gp55 binds and activates EPO-R. A small but measurable amount of gp55-EPO-R complex is transported to the cell surface (Casadewall et al, 1991). In the presence of helper virus, the defective SFFV genome is packaged and released for subsequent rounds of infection. During the first stage, erythroblasts proliferate but are not tumorigenic. During the second stage of Friend disease, subsequent infections result in further proviral integrations in the host genome. Some of these integrations result in increased Spi-1 expression, whereas others result in decreased p53 expression. These events appear to account for the leukaemogenic properties of cells at this stage, 4-6 weeks after the initial SFFV infection. The interaction between EPO-R and gp55 persists at this later stage, although its contribution to the malignant phenotype of the MEL cells is not known. The sequence of events during stage 1 and stage 2 does not appear to have absolute requirements. Starting with IL-3 dependent immortalized Ba/F3 cells, which already have some unknown proliferative mutation (Mathey-Prevot et al, 1986), gp55 and EPO-R can subsequently be introduced, resulting in tumorigenicity (Li et al, 1990). The primary focus of this review has been the early mitogenic stage of Friend disease. Several concepts have emerged regarding the interaction between gp55 and EPO-R. The interaction between the polypeptides is highly specific, occurs in the extracytoplasmic regions and the transmembrane region of the polypeptides and occurs within the same cell, not via cell-cell contact. Both EPO and gp55 activate EPO-R, via different binding sites, resulting in increased cellular tyrosine kinase activity. The first stage of Friend disease is an example of how a non-oncogene bearing retrovirus can induce leukaemia. The env gene of the SFFV is not a classical oncogene. It does not appear to be derived from a normal cellular proto-oncogene. The interaction of gp55 and EPO-R therefore supports the "receptor mediated leukaemogenesis" hypothesis (McGrath and Weissman, 1978, 1979).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)