Haemopoietic progenitor cell heterogeneity revealed by a single monoclonal antibody, YW 13.1.1

Rapid segregation and purification of haemopoietic progenitor cells by simple methods is necessary for a proper analysis of the control of early haemopoiesis. In this paper we describe the use of a rat monoclonal antibody, YW 13.1.1, for that purpose. This reagent reacts with more than 90% of foetal liver cells but spares stem cells. A single-step lysis with antibody and complement achieves a tenfold enrichment for early progenitor cells. The marker also shows an increasing level of expression on the three defined subsets of erythroid progenitor cells. This parallels their developmental pathway and erythropoietin responsiveness. Simple quantitative considerations therefore permit separation of cells at different stages of erythropoiesis.