Embryo-derived teratocarcinoma: I. The role of strain and gender in the control of teratocarcinogenesis.

The role of gender and genetic (strain-specific) factors in the regulation of teratocarcinogenesis was studied by monitoring the outgrowth of benign and malignant embryo-derived teratoid tumors, i.e., teratomas and teratocarconomas in several mouse strains. Teratocarcinomas were produced in all mouse strains tested, but the ratio of teratoma to teratocarcinoma varied from one strain to another. A high yield of teratocarcinomas was obtained in A/J, BALB/cJ, DBA/2J, CBA/J and C3H/J mice, irrespective of the sex of the recipient. A low yield of teratocarcinomas was obtained in both male and female C57BL/6J and AKR/J recipients, and in 129/J female recipients. For all strains but 129/J and eventually AKR/J the sex of the recipients did not significantly affect the outgrowth of embryo-derived tumors. These data suggest the existence of mouse strains with high and low permissiveness for embryo-derived teratocarcinogenesis. The sex of the recipients may influence the yield of embryo-derived teratocarcinomas in some mouse strains but is of no consequence in others.