Our results suggest that the action of F-gp55 contributes to both early and late stages of Friend erythroleukemia and that persistence of F-gp55 expression may be required not only to initiate erythroleukemia but to also maintain erythroleukemia following Friend virus infection.
The spleen focus forming virus (SFFV) gp55-P envelope glycoprotein specifically binds to and activates murine erythropoietin receptors (EpoRs) coexpressed in the same cell, triggering proliferation of erythroid progenitors and inducing erythroleukemia.