A susceptibility locus for radiation lymphomagenesis on mouse chromosome 16

BALB/cHeA (BALB/c) mice are sensitive to radiation lymphomagenesis, while STS/A (STS) mice are resistant. We have selected a recombinant mouse, R1, with a STS-derived D16Mit165-D16Mit34 segment in the vicinity of the centromere of chromosome 16 among progeny from a (CcS-7/Dem x BALB/c)F1 x BALB/c backcross. To test the susceptibility to radiation lymphomagenesis, we generated a genetic cross by mating the male and female R1 progeny obtained by 4-6 backcrosses of R1 to BALB/c. The mice were subjected to 4 x 1.7 Gy of X-irradiation. Of 120 mice analyzed, 94 developed lymphomas (91, of thymic type; 3, of nonthymic type) within 315 days of observation. The analysis indicated a link between the susceptibility to lymphomagenesis and the marker D16Mit34 on chromosome 16. The mice heterozygous for the BALB/c and STS alleles at D16Mit34 were less sensitive to lymphomagenesis than the mice homozygous at this locus. There was no significant difference in latency among the genotypes. Our study showed the existence of a susceptibility locus for radiation lymphomagenesis on chromosome 16 and revealed aspects of the genetics of lymphoma susceptibility.