Expression of Ly 1, Ly 2, Thy 1, and TL differentiation antigens on mouse T-cell tumors.

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Transplanted lymphomas, most of thymic origin, induced in BALB/c mice with 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea (ENU) and transplanted spontaneously occurring lymphomas of AKR mice were examined for the expression of the T[thymus-derived]-cell antigens Ly, TL [thymus leukemia] and Thy 1 by using 3 serological methods. Most (11 of 13) of the Thy 1+ and/or TL+ tumors, i.e., T-cell tumors, expressed high levels of either Ly 1 or Ly 2 antigen, but not both. Thus most thymic lymphocytic tumors expressed restricted Ly phenotypes comparable to phenotypes previously described for functional peripheral T cells. Because tumor phenotypes were stable over a number of transplant generations, they therefore appeared to be an intrinsic property of the specific tumors. The majority of the BALB/c lymphomas were Ly 1- 2+ and also positive with anti-TL antiserum. This predominant phenotype on the BALB/c tumors may be related to either the mode of tumor induction or to the mouse strain, but since the restricted Ly pattern was observed in BALB/c and AKR tumors, the phenotypic restriction itself is not a consequence of either of these factors. Tumor induction by ENU per se is not responsible for Ly or TL antigen expression since several non-T-cell BALB/c tumors, also induced by ENU, did not express either Ly or TL antigens. The target cell for leukemogenesis may be a partially differentiated thymus cell. The restricted expression of Ly antigens on differentiating thymus cells to either the Ly 1+ or Ly 2+ phenotype may occur before the loss of TL antigen.