A thymus cell marker in murine leukemia virus-induced lymphomas of rats.

A specific marker for an immature population of thymus cells in the rat was shown by the rosette formation between thymus cells and guinea pig erythrocytes. This method was used to classify murine leukemia virus-induced rat lymphomas. Eight of nine Gross virus-induced rat lymphoma lines, which originated in the thymus, formed rosettes; whereas Friend, Rauscher, or Moloney virus-induced rat lymphoma lines, which originated in either the thymus, spleen, or mesenteric lymph nodes, did not form rosettes. The percentage of the total cells which formed rosettes in the Gross lymphoma lines decreased with in vivo passages. If the tumor cells were exposed to trypsin treatment, then the tumor cells would form rosettes. Lymphoma lines which lacked rosette-forming cells did not show rosette formation after trypsin treatment. An immunofluorescence test showed that none of the lymphoma lines induced by Gross, Friend, Rauscher, or Moloney viruses carried the surface immunoglobulin characteristic of B-cells. These results suggest that Gross lymphomas may be derived from the thymic cortex and that Friend, Rauscher, or Moloney lymphomas may be derived from either mature thymus cells (non-rosette-forming cells) or from a subpopulation of the B-cell series which does not have the surface immunoglobulin G receptor.