v-rel and c-rel induce a membrane protein, p75, on avian hematopoietic cells

v-rel-induced neoplasias are thought to be caused by the aberrant expression of cellular genes. Using a monoclonal antibody we detected a 75 kDa-protein (p75) on v-rel-transformed chicken hematopoietic cells. This protein is normally expressed only on a certain type of non-T, non-B cells in the chicken caecal tonsils. Overexpression of v-rel in two B-cell lines and in splenic cells induced the expression of p75. In contrast, overexpression of c-rel in these cells resulted in variable expression of p75. These data indicated that p75 is ectopically expressed on v-rel-transformed hematopoietic cells and that it responds differently to v-rel and c-rel induction.