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.
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.