Possible Role of the Friend Virus Life Cycle in Differentiating Friend Leukemia Cells Treated with Interferon

Friend erythroleukemia cells (FLC) are proerythroblasts chronically infected with the Friend virus complex (FLV, composed by LLV and SFFV). They undergo erythroid differentiation accompanied by synthesis of heme and hemoglobin (Hb), accumulation of globin mRNA and erythrocyte-specific membrane changes upon treatment with DMSO and other polar solvents [6].