Trisomy 15 as a regular finding in chemically induced murine T-cell leukemogenesis

Trisomy 15 is described as a common finding in all T-cell leukemias induced by a single dose of methylnitrosourea (MNU) in BDF1 mice and in the leukemias induced by 7 doses of benzo(a)pyrene. Additional trisomies were found in about half of the leukemias. The organ distribution suggests that the leukemic cells with trisomy 15 originate in the thymus. Trisomy 15 was detected in the thymus as early as 6 weeks after the application of MNU, i.e. during the latency period.