Terminal differentiation of yolk-sac erythroid cells of the Syrian hamster in vitro.

The developmental fate of Syrian hamster yolk-sac (primitive) erythroid cells was examined in vitro. Highly purified yolk-sac erythroid cells at the polychromatophilic stage, obtained from the peripheral blood of embryos at day 10 of gestation, showed morphological and biochemical changes in our modified semi-solid culture system. Several morphological changes observed in the primitive erythroid cell cultures, such as nuclear condensation, approach of nuclei to the periphery of cells, development by cells of an extended pear-like shape, enucleation, and an increase in haemoglobin content, were quite similar to those of the terminal differentiation of fetal liver or adult bone marrow (definitive) erythroid cells. In addition, the transition of molecular species of haemoglobin from the embryonic to the fetal/adult pattern was also observed in our culture system. Thus we provide evidence, by the in vitro culture of yolk-sac erythroid cells, that primitive erythroid cells undergo terminal differentiation in a manner similar to that of definitive erythroid cells.