A HISTORICAL-PERSPECTIVE AND CELLULAR-REGULATION OF MEGAKARYOCYTOPOIESIS

With the recent accumulation of information about megakaryocyte bioche mistry and function, our understanding of the regulatory system contro lling megakaryocytopoiesis is becoming more clear. The cloning and the expression of thrombopoietin, the regulator of megakaryocytopoiesis, has been a major breakthrough. This review will discuss megakaryocyte ontogeny, cell-cell interactions between megakaryocytes and the other stromal cells and the signal transduction in megakaryocytes.