Incubation of bone marrow cells (BMC) with neuraminidase (NA) reduces their ability to form colonies in the spleen of lethally irradiated mice. In vivo the largest reduction was observed in the erythrocytic colonies, whereas in vitro an inhibiting effect of NA incubation was observed on the plating efficiency of erythrocyte precursors (CFUE and day 7 BFUE). Masking of the receptors for neuraminidase-treated cell surface determinants in the recipient's body by infection of desialated erythrocytes (NA-Ery) or erythrocyte membrane fragments (NA-Efr) did largely restore the reduced colony formation of NA-BMC with respect to both the total number of spleen colonies and their type. Pretreatment of irradiated host with NA-Ery, but with NA-Efr, led to a slight polycythemia as judged by the number of erythrocytic and undifferentiated colonies as well as by the surface colony diameter. The reduced erythrocytic colony formation of NA-BMC was considerably enhanced in anemic irradiated recipients (from 25-70% of respective controls). Under all experimental circumstances the erythrocytic colony formation of NA-BMC never exceeded that of normal BMC (N-BMC). Further, in normal or anemic recipients whether or not treated with NA-Efr, the diameters of the spleen surface colonies in NA-BMC injected animals were smaller than in recipients of control-incubated BMC. In vitro experimentation indicated that the reduced plating efficiency of CFUE and BFUE following incubation could not be attributed to a decreased sensitivity to erythropoietin. However, day 7 BFUE with deficient cell surface sialic acid residues had a decreased sensitivity to burst promoting activity. Among several other explanations, our data support the possibility that the desialated colony forming cells that give rise to erythrocytic colonies in vivo have higher requirements for early regulatory factors than granulocytic precursor cells. In contrast to the normal postirradiation situation the level of these factors could be increased in recipients, which are bled subsequently to irradiation. Evidence is presented in support of our concept that neuraminidase-treated CFU are fully capable to exhibit normal, although delayed, colony formation in vivo in animals with covered receptors for galactosyl residues.