Bone marrow phenotype determines genetic resistance to RadLV-induced leukemia in radiation chimeric mice

The development of RadLV-induced T-cell leukemia is a multistep process which evolves along the bone marrow-thymus axis. This process has been shown to be under the control of resistance and susceptibility genes. The relative importance of bone marrow and thymic phenotypes in this genetic control have not been established. We have constructed radiation chimeras with bone marrow from susceptible C57BL/Ka and thymus from resistant B10.A(5R) mice (and vice versa). The rate of leukemia development in the various groups indicates that the phenotype of the bone marrow and not that of the thymus determines the expression of resistance or susceptibility.