Telomere-like DNA polymorphisms associated with genetic predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia in irradiated CBA mice.

There is evidence that interstitial telomere (TTAGGG)n-like sequences at chromosome 2 fragile sites play an important role in the somatic events that characterize the earliest phases of radiation-induced acute myeloid leukemia in the CBA/H mouse. Here we show that the highly inbred CBA/H colony unexpectedly contains four genotypic variants for telomere-like sequence arrays and that almost all induced myeloid leukemias derive from one of the variant subpopulations that constitutes approximately 20% of the colony. Preliminary evidence on the irregular inheritance patterns for these variant sequences is discussed together with the proposal that one form of these telomere sequence arrays either represents or is closely linked to a locus that influences chromosome 2 breakage patterns in hemopoietic cells following irradiation and, through this, susceptibility to induced myeloid leukemia.