Surface molecules of hematopoietic stem cells: requirement for sialic acid in spleen colony formation.

Enzymatic treatment was used to test the function of some surface peptides and carbohydrates in hematopoietic spleen colony formation. Proteases and most glycosidases had no effect on spleen colony formation, whereas treatment with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase reduced colonies by one-half. Intact sialic acid (residues appear to play an important role in colony formation.