Hematopoietic tissue environment and molecular interactions in erythropoiesis

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In African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, mammalian homologues of erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor (EPO) express in the adult liver. Xenopus EPO had only 38% identity with mammalian EPO protein. By establishing a colony assay for the first time in amphibian, we were able not only to demonstrate the presence of erythroid progenitors in the liver capable of forming erythroid colonies but also the specific function of Xenopus EPO and the presence of EPO in anemic serum. Under conditions of hypothermic anemia, new erythrocytes were retained in the liver. This is the first study to describe the direct evidences in a physiological animal model to investigate the erythroid progenitor in amphibian hematopoietic tissues.