Thymic nurse cells are the first site of virus replication after inoculation of the radiation leukemia virus.

The induction of thymic lymphomas by inoculation of the Radiation Leukemia Virus (RadLV) requires interactions between RadLV, lymphoid cells and thymus microenvironment. The possible localization of this interaction within the peculiar lymphoepithelial complexes called 'thymic nurse cells' (TNCs) has been investigated. Electron microscopic studies, as well as in vitro experiments using a very sensitive infectious centre detection assay demonstrated that most of the first virus producing cells after RadLV inoculation are located within the TNCs. Most of these structures belong to the thymus subcapsular zone. They contain lymphoid cells with the phenotype of the major (cortical) thymocyte population. Data support the view that a limited subpopulation of subcapsular immature thymocyte can act as specific targets for productive infection with RadLV. Furthermore, the initiation of virus replication appears related to the interaction between the immature thymocyte and the 'nurse cells' microenvironment.