Retroviral transfer and expression of human MDR-1 in a murine haemopoietic stem cell line does not alter factor dependence, growth or differentiation characteristics.

In view of the recent report of a myeloproliferative syndrome in mice that had received an MDR-1-transduced haemopoietic graft, we have investigated the potential effects of MDR-1 expression on primitive haemopoietic cell growth and differentiation. Retroviral gene transfer was used to achieve exogenous expression of either MDR-1 or truncated nerve growth factor receptor (tNGFR) in the multipotent murine haemopoietic progenitor cell line, FDCP-mix. Following gene transfer, clonal lines were derived and FACS analysis confirmed appropriate expression of each transgene. MDR-1 (but not tNGFR) expression was associated with verapamil-sensitive rhodamine efflux and resistance to killing by etoposide. When growth factor responsiveness, proliferative capacity and differentiation capacity were examined, MDR-1 expressing FDCP-mix cells exhibited a normal phenotype and mimicked the response of tNGFR-expressing or untransduced FDCP-mix cells. Thus, in the model system we have used, MDR-1 does not perturb haemopoietic cell growth and development and our data do not support a myeloproliferative role for MDR-1.