Abelson virus-induced lymphomagenesis in mice.

The salient facts which have emerged from our study of Abelson virus (MuLV-A)lymphomagenesis in mice are that lymphoma induction is (a) age dependent, (b) virus dose dependent, and (c) under the control of host genes unrelated to other genes known to control murine leukemia (e.g., Fv-1 on Fv-2). Of 16 strains tested, only BALB/c and some of its derivative strains showed high sensitivity. Studies from CXB recombinant inbred strains and hybrids between them are interpreted to indicate that BALB/c carries dominant sensitivity alleles at two loci, tentatively designated Av-1 and Av-2, which conferon these mice partial susceptibility to MuLV-A lymphoma induction. In addition, H-2 may play a minor role in determining the susceptibility of mice to MuLV-A, its effect being seen only in mice homozygous for resistance at both Av-1 and Av-2. Virologic studies indicate that the resistance of adult B6 mice is not related to restriction on the helper virus replication, but is specific for the defective transforming virus genome.