Blood cell phenotypes exhibited by QCE6 cells in response to altered levels of WNT protein.

WNT11ox/3 (A-C), WNT11αs/4 (D-E), or WNT5a/QCE6 cells (F) were cultured for 6 days in hematopoietic-promoting conditions prior to phenotypic analysis with MGG stain. Panels A and D show cells grown in MeC, and panels B, C, E, and F display cells cultured in FB gels. The prevalent cell phenotypes exhibited by WNT11ox/3 cells were erythroid or monocyte phenotypes, although granulocytes, thrombocytes, and a few macrophages were also observed. An erythroblast cluster (A), an RBC cluster (B), and a high magnification view of RBCs (arrows) (C), which developed from WNT11ox/3 cells. (D-E) In contrast, macrophages were the predominant cell type derived from WNT11αs/4 cells. Monocytes were very rare and RBCs were never observed in cultures of WNT11αs/4 cells. (F) Similarly to WNT11ox/3 cells, stably transfected WNT5a/QCE6 cells contained primarily RBCs (arrows) and monocytes (arrowheads). Scale bar: A, 10 μm; B, 25 μm; C, 6.5 μm; D-F, 12 μm.