ALTERNATIVE SPLICING OF THE ERYTHROPOIETIN RECEPTOR GENE CORRELATES WITH ERYTHROID-DIFFERENTIATION IN RAT HEMATOPOIETIC AND LEUKEMIC-CELLS

An alternative splicing of the rat erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) gene was identified in normal and erythroleukemia cells. A 105 bp insert w as found at a region corresponding to the extracellular domain ofEpoR. The alternative transcript was translated to a soluble EpoR (EpoR-S) expressed in spleen, bone marrow, and cultured erythroleukemia cells i n addition to the full-length EpoR (EpoR-F). One of the rat erythroleu kemia sublines, K4DT, which partially lost erythroid phenotypes and ma nifested monocyte/macrophage characteristics also lacked EpoR-S expres sion. Thus, expression of EpoR-S may play an important role in differe ntiation of rat erythroid cells. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd .