Polyoma-induced thymic epithelial tumors: analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis of tumors upon labeling the entire tumor bearing host.

Injection of neonatal C3H/Bi mice with polyoma virus (PTA-5) results after 4 to 20 weeks in the development of thymic epithelial tumors in 2/3 of the mice. These tumors appear to be the result of a neoplastic proliferation or transformation of thymic epithelial cells. The tumors contain immature lymphoid infiltrates characteristic of normal tissue and express the same function as normal tissue by providing the microenvironment for T cell maturation. To establish more comprehensively the relation of neoplastic to normal thymic epithelial cells, tumor-bearing mice and their normal counterparts were labeled in vivo by injection of S35-L-methionine. The stroma and lymphoid cells were separated and analyzed by two dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by radiofluorography. It was found that the epithelial portion of the tumor differed in several structural polypeptide components from normal tissue while the polypeptide composition of the thymocyte population remained unaltered. It was concluded that the neoplasia is confined to the epithelium compartment and the function of the neoplastic organ is maintained.