Fig. 6: Vac14 is required for mouse erythropoiesis.

A Lethally irradiated WT mice were transplanted with Vac14^−/− or WT fetal liver cells. B Absolute numbers of terminally differentiated erythroid cells in bone marrows of recipient mice at 23–26 weeks post-transplantation. Stages I to V correspond to proE, basoE, polyE, orthoE, and reticulocytes/erythrocytes, respectively. C Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in recipients of Vac14^-/- or WT fetal liver cells at weeks 9–10 or 23–26 post-transplantation. D Spleen weights of mice at 23–26 weeks following transplantation with Vac14^−/− or WT fetal liver cells. E Absolute numbers of terminally differentiated erythroid cells in spleens of recipient mice at 23–26 weeks post-transplantation. Statistical analysis for (B–E) was performed using unpaired t-tests without correction for multiple comparisons (n = 3 WT mice and n = 4 Vac14^−/− mice, data represented as mean ± standard deviation). F Histology of sternum bone marrows and spleens harvested from recipients of Vac14^−/− fetal liver cells demonstrating decreased hematopoiesis and large intracellular vacuoles. G Vacuolated erythroid progenitors (proE) present in bone marrows of mice transplanted with Vac14^−/− fetal liver cells. Images in (F, G) are representative of 2 independent experiments. Arrows indicate erythroid progenitors. ns, not significant; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; ****p < 0.0001. Source data are provided in Source Data file.