1-Methylguanosine in place of Y base at position 37 in phenylalanine tRNA is responsible for its shiftiness in retroviral ribosomal frameshifting.

Many mammalian retroviruses express their protease and polymerase by ribosomal frameshifting. It was originally proposed that a specialized shifty tRNA promotes the frameshift event. We previously observed that phenylalanine tRNA(Phe) lacking the highly modified wybutoxosine (Y) base on the 3' side of its anticodon stimulated frameshifting, demonstrating that this tRNA is shifty. We now report the shifty tRNA(Phe) contains 1-methylguanosine (m(1)G) in place of Y and that the m(1)G form from rabbit reticulocytes stimulates frameshifting more efficiently than its m(1)G-containing counterpart from mouse neuroblastoma cells. The latter tRNA contains unmodified C and G nucleosides at positions 32 and 34, respectively, while the former tRNA contains the analogous 2'-O-methylated nucleosides at these positions. The data suggest that not only does the loss of a highly modified base from the 3' side of the anticodon render tRNA(Phe) shifty, but the modification status of the entire anticodon loop contributes to the degree of shiftiness. Possible biological consequences of these findings are discussed.

Multiple isoforms of protein kinase C in lymphocytes and airway smooth muscle of guinea pig.

The isoenzyme pattern of protein kinase C (PKC) in lymphocytes and airway smooth muscles (ASM) was examined by Western blot using commercially available monoclonal antibodies. The results showed the presence of PKC alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon, eta, mu and zeta in lymphocytes and PKC alpha, gamma, epsilon, eta and zeta in ASM. The unexpected feature was the presence of PKCgamma in both lymphocytes and ASM of guinea pigs. Expression of this PKC isoform is usually restricted to tissues in the central nervous system or spinal cord. Expression of PKC delta, theta, lambda and tau was not detected in either lymphocytes or ASM.

Identification of the smooth muscle-specific protein, sm22, as a novel protein kinase C substrate using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.

We report a novel method to identify protein kinase C (PKC) substrates. Tissue lysates were fractionated by ion exchange chromatography and used as substrates in in vitro kinase reactions. The phosphorylated proteins were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Spots that contained isolated phosphoproteins were excised and digested with trypsin. The tryptic peptides were analyzed using mass spectrometry. While several of the proteins identified using this technique represent known PKC substrates, we identified a new PKC substrate in the initial screen. This protein, sm22, is expressed in smooth muscle cells and served well as a substrate for PKC in vitro. Sm22 is predominantly associated with the actin cytoskeleton. Upon activation of PKC in vivo, sm22 dissociates from the actin cytoskeleton and is distributed diffusely in the cytoplasm. Our data strongly suggest that phosphorylation by PKC controls the intracellular localization of sm22. This demonstrates that our approach, using a complex mixture of proteins as in vitro kinase substrates and subsequently identifying the newly phosphorylated proteins by mass spectrometry, is a powerful method to identify new kinase substrates.

Lovastatin induces apoptosis in a primitive neuroectodermal tumor cell line in association with RB down-regulation and loss of the G1 checkpoint.

To develop a new approach to the treatment of primitive neuroectodermal tumors we evaluated the effect of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin on the Ewing's sarcoma cell line CHP-100. Lovastatin induced neural morphology and markers including neuron-specific enolase and neurofilament protein. The acquisition of neural morphology required new mRNA synthesis, and cDNA microarray analysis confirmed that lovastatin altered the program of gene expression. After morphologic differentiation the cells underwent rapidly progressive apoptosis. In normal development of neuronal progenitors, differentiation signals trigger p21WAF1 accumulation, RB hypophosphorylation, enhanced RB-E2F-1 association, and G1 arrest, and these events have been shown to protect from apoptosis. In contrast, in the Ewing's sarcoma cells lovastatin triggered differentiation without causing cell cycle arrest: p21WAF1 was not induced, RB remained hyperphosphorylated, and RB protein expression and RB-E2F-1 association were markedly downregulated, suggesting that loss of an RB-regulated G1 checkpoint promoted apoptosis. Consistent with this hypothesis, adenoviral p21WAF1 decreased DNA synthesis and partially protected from lovastatin-induced cytotoxicity. The data demonstrate a new model for examining the genetic regulation of cell fate in a neural progenitor tumor and suggest a new approach to the treatment of this neoplasm.

The ribonucleotide reductase R2 gene is a non-transcribed target of c-Myc-induced genomic instability.

The c-Myc oncoprotein is highly expressed in malignant cells of many cell types, but the mechanism by which it contributes to the transformation process is not fully understood. Here, we show for the first time that constitutive or activated overexpression of the c-myc gene in cultured mouse B lymphocytes is followed by chromosomal and extrachromosomal amplification as well as rearrangement of the ribonucleotide reductase R2 gene locus. Electron micrographs and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrate the c-Myc-dependent generation of extrachromosomal elements, some of which contain R2 sequences. However, unlike other genes that have been shown to be targets of c-Myc-dependent genomic instability, amplification of the R2 gene is not associated with alterations in R2 mRNA or protein expression. These data suggest that c-Myc-dependent genomic instability involves a greater number of genes than previously anticipated, but not all of the genes that are amplified in this system are transcriptionally upregulated.

Regulation of actin cytoskeleton in lymphocytes: PKC-delta disrupts IL-3-induced membrane ruffles downstream of Rac1.

In the murine pre-B lymphoid cell line Baf3, the presence of IL-3 is required for the formation of membrane ruffles that intensely stain for actin and are responsible for the elongated cell phenotype. Withdrawal of IL-3 dissolves ruffled protrusions and converts the cell phenotype to round. Flow cytometric analysis of the cell shape showed that an inactive analog of Rac1 but not inactive RhoA or inactive cdc42 rounds the cells in the presence of IL-3. Constitutively activated Rac1 restores the elongated cell phenotype to IL-3-starved cells. We conclude that the activity of Rac1 is necessary and sufficient for the IL-3-induced assembly of membrane ruffles. Similar to the IL-3 withdrawal, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) dissolves actin-formed membrane ruffles and rounds the cells in the presence of IL-3. Flow cytometric analysis of the cell shape demonstrated that in the presence of IL-3 the PMA-induced cell rounding cannot be abolished by constitutively active Rac1 but can be imitated by inactive Rac1. These data indicate that PMA disrupts the IL-3 pathway downstream of Rac1. Cells rounded by PMA return to the elongated phenotype concomitantly with PKC depletion. PMA-induced cell rounding can be reversed by the PKC-specific inhibitor GF109203X. Experiments with overexpression in Baf3 of individual PKC isoforms and a dominant negative PKC-delta indicate that activation of PKC-delta but not other PKC isoforms is responsible for disruption of membrane ruffles.

bcl2 and v-abl oncogenes cooperate to immortalize murine B cells that secrete antigen specific antibodies.

In this manuscript, a general strategy was designed and used to rapidly test whether any combination(s) of p53, v-abl, bcl2 and ras oncogenes could act cooperatively to immortalize B cells. Here we report that only the combination of v-abl and bcl2 was successful. Splenic B cells from beta galactosidase-immunized mice were stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide and dextran sulphate for 48 h and co-infected with ecotropic A-MuLV (v-abl) and amphotropic pZip-bcl2 (human bcl2) viruses. When inoculated i.p. into naive pristane-primed mice, these B cells generated mesenteric lymphadenopathy, intraperitoneal lymph nodules and ascites in 100% (8/8) of the mice within 36-53 days. The ascites fluid contained 69.5-122 microg/ml IgG and 2.5-13 microg/ml IgM against the immunogen. The ascites cells were passed intraperitoneally up to three times. In all passages, ascites tumors were generated, and the ascites fluid contained beta galactosidase-specific IgG and IgM, indicating that some immunoglobulin secreting B cells had been immortalized. Neither ascites nor tumors were produced when B cells infected with only one of the viruses was injected into the mice. The presence of each oncogene in ascites cells was verified by immunohistochemistry or RT-PCR. This study provides evidence for the cooperativity of an unexpected pair of oncogenes in B cell immortalization.

Chromosomal and extrachromosomal instability of the cyclin D2 gene is induced by Myc overexpression.

We examined the expression of cyclins D1, D2, D3, and E in mouse B-lymphocytic tumors. Cyclin D2 mRNA was consistently elevated in plasmacytomas, which characteristically contain Myc-activating chromosome translocations and constitutive c-Myc mRNA and protein expression. We examined the nature of cyclin D2 overexpression in plasmacytomas and other tumors. Human and mouse tumor cell lines that exhibited c-Myc dysregulation displayed instability of the cyclin D2 gene, detected by Southern blot, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and in extrachromosomal preparations (Hirt extracts). Cyclin D2 instability was not seen in cells with low levels of c-Myc protein. To unequivocally demonstrate a role of c-Myc in the instability of the cyclin D2 gene, a Myc-estrogen receptor chimera was activated in two mouse cell lines. After 3 to 4 days of Myc-ER activation, instability at the cyclin D2 locus was seen in the form of extrachromosomal elements, determined by FISH of metaphase and interphase nuclei and of purified extrachromosomal elements. At the same time points, Northern and Western blot analyses detected increased cyclin D2 mRNA and protein levels. These data suggest that Myc-induced genomic instability may contribute to neoplasia by increasing the levels of a cell cycle-regulating protein, cyclin D2, via intrachromosomal amplification of its gene or generation of extrachromosomal copies.

Modulation of MAP kinase signaling and growth characteristics by the overexpression of protein kinase C in NIH3T3 cells.

This study was performed to examine effects of the overexpression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms (i.e., beta I, beta II, gamma, delta, eta, and zeta) on mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (Erk-1 and -2) signaling and growth characteristics of NIH3T3 cells. Phorbol ester (PMA) activated endogenous and ectopically expressed PKC alpha, beta I, beta II, gamma, delta, epsilon, and eta. Overexpression of the examined PKC isoforms enhanced PMA-induced MAP kinase activation. Potentiation of MAP kinase activation was also observed upon stimulation of cells with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) although there was no indication for the activation PKC isoforms by PDGF. Inhibition of PKC blocked PMA- but not PDGF-induced MAP kinase activation. Thus, potentiation of PDGF-induced MAP kinase activation appears to be independent to PKC activity, while PMA-induced MAP kinase activation requires PKC activity. The ability of PKC isoforms to potentiate MAP kinase activation is not related to the growth characteristics of cells because individual PKC isoforms differentially regulated maximum density and proliferation of cells.

Generation of switch hybrid DNA between Ig heavy chain-mu and downstream switch regions in B lymphocytes.

Ig heavy chain isotype switching in B lymphocytes is known to be preceded by transcription of a portion of the particular heavy chain gene segment that is targeted for recombination. Here, we describe an active role for these transcripts in the switch recombination process. Using an in vitro assay that exposes an artificial switch-mu (Smu) minisubstrate to switch region transcripts in the presence of nuclear extracts from switching cells, we demonstrate that free 3' ends of the Smu sequence are extended onto switch region transcripts by reverse transcription. The activity was induced in splenic B lymphocytes upon activation with LPS or CD40 ligand. This in vitro process is thought to be relevant to in vivo class switching for two reasons: 1) although only one-third of the Smu minisubstrate actually contains Smu sequence, all crossovers between switch regions occurred in the Smu portion; and 2) treatment of B lymphocytes with IL-4, which enriches for switching to S gamma 1, increases the ratio of Smu-S gamma 1 to Smu-S gamma 3 hybrids by 16% after LPS treatment and by 37% after CD40 ligand activation, implicating this S mu-primed reverse transcription of switch region transcripts as a novel mechanism of regulating the specificity of isotype switching. Further evidence for an active role of switch region transcripts was obtained by expressing S alpha RNA in trans in the Bcl1B1 B lymphoma line. Endogenous S mu-S alpha switch circles were detected in Bcl1B1 cells expressing exogenous S alpha RNA but not in mock-transfected cells.

Activation of bcl-2 suppressible 40 and 44 kDa p38-like kinases during apoptosis of early and late B lymphocytic cell lines.

Activation of several different kinases characterizes the induction of apoptosis. Abelson virus transformed pre-B lymphocytes undergo apoptosis within 24 h of serum deprivation, PKA activation or gamma-irradiation, and the activity of two kinases of ca. 40 and 44 kDa is specifically induced during this apoptotic process. Bcl-2 expression prevents both apoptosis and the induction of these kinases. Immunologic and substrate similarities indicate that these kinases are related to the p38 family of MAP kinases. More mature cells of the B lymphocytic lineage, plasmacytomas, also exhibit induction of these kinases when apoptosis is induced by withdrawal of serum or IL-6. Treatment of the pre-B cells with ICE protease inhibitors when apoptotic stimuli are delivered prevents induction of the kinase activity, and partially inhibits apoptosis. These findings indicate that the induction of these 40 and 44 kDa p38 related kinases is a common feature of apoptosis in mouse B lymphocytic cells and may represent a step downstream of ICE proteases in the signal cascade that leads to programmed cell death.

Cross-talk between protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha) and -delta (PKC-delta): PKC-alpha elevates the PKC-delta protein level, altering its mRNA transcription and degradation.

Studies utilizing the overexpression of individual isoforms indicated that both PKC-alpha and -delta promote a number of biological effects, including inhibition of DNA synthesis associated with rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton in the murine B-cell lymphoma (Baf3), differentiation of the murine promyelocyte line 32D, and activation of MAP kinase in CHO fibroblasts. We postulated that these results reflect some form of cross-regulation between PKC-alpha and -delta rather than their functional redundancy. In this report, we show that overexpression of PKC-alpha in Baf3 and 32D leads to an elevation of the endogenous PKC-delta mRNA and protein levels. The elevated steady-state PKC-delta mRNA level results from a combination of increased PKC-delta transcription and mRNA stability. Upregulation of PKC-delta mRNA by PKC-alpha occurs even after a selective depletion of the PKC-delta protein. In addition, phorbol ester-induced elevation of PKC-delta mRNA and protein levels can be prevented by the PKC inhibitor GF109203X, an indication of the requirement for PKC kinase activity. Inhibition of new protein synthesis by cycloheximide showed that upregulation of PKC-delta mRNA, as opposed to delayed downregulation of the PKC-delta protein, is primarily responsible for the accumulation of this isoform by PKC-alpha. In parental Baf3 and 32D cells and PKC-alpha overexpressers, PKC-alpha and PKC-delta are uniquely involved in cross-regulation, while PKC-epsilon, PKC-eta, and PKC-mu are not.

The catalytic domain of PKC-epsilon, in reciprocal PKC-delta and -epsilon chimeras, is responsible for conferring tumorgenicity to NIH3T3 cells, whereas both regulatory and catalytic domains of PKC-epsilon contribute to in vitro transformation.

Protein kinase C-epsilon (PKC-epsilon) has been shown to increase growth and cause malignant transformation when overexpressed in NIH3T3 cells, whereas PKC-delta reduced fibroblast growth. Two reciprocal chimeric proteins (PKC-epsilondelta and PKC-deltaepsilon were constructed by exchanging the regulatory and catalytic domains of PKC-delta and -epsilon and were stably overexpressed in NIH3T3 cells. Fibroblasts that overexpressed either chimera showed maximum cell density and morphology that were intermediate between cells overexpressing PKC-delta and those that overexpressed PKC-epsilon. Moreover, all lines that expressed chimeras were capable of anchorage-independent growth in the presence of TPA, which indicated that both the regulatory and catalytic domains of PKC-epsilon could independently induce NIH3T3 transformation, although the combination of both domains, as found in PKC-epsilon, was the most active form. In contrast, the translocation pattern and ability to induce tumors in nude mice was attributable to the catalytic domains exclusively. In particular, cells that expressed PKC-deltaepsilon retained PKC-epsilon's full potency of tumorgenicity when injected into nude mice. In sum, our findings not only reinforce the concept that only certain PKC isozymes contribute to carcinogenesis but also show that different domains of PKCs mediate the physiologically distinguishable events of transformation and tumorgenesis.

Both the catalytic and regulatory domains of protein kinase C chimeras modulate the proliferative properties of NIH 3T3 cells.

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes exhibit important differences in terms of their regulation and biological functions. Not only may some PKC isoforms be active and others not for a given response, but the actions of different isoforms may even be antagonistic. In NIH 3T3 cells, for example, PKCdelta arrests cell growth whereas PKCepsilon stimulates it. To probe the contribution of the regulatory and the catalytic domains of PKC isozymes to isozyme-specific responses, we prepared chimeras between the regulatory and the catalytic domains of PKCalpha, -delta, and -epsilon. These chimeras, which preserve the overall structure of the native PKC enzymes, were stably expressed in mouse fibroblasts. A major objective was to characterize the growth properties of the cells that overexpress the various PKC constructs. Our data demonstrate that both the regulatory and the catalytic domains play roles in cell proliferation. The regulatory domain of PKCepsilon enhanced cell growth in the absence or presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and, in the presence of PMA, all chimeras with the PKCepsilon regulatory domain also gave rise to colonies in soft agar; the role of the catalytic domain of PKCepsilon was evident in the PMA-treated cells that overexpressed the PKC chimera containing the delta regulatory and the epsilon catalytic domains (PKCdelta/epsilon). The important contribution of the PKCepsilon catalytic domain to the growth of PKCdelta/epsilon-expressing cells was also evident in terms of a significantly increased saturation density in the presence of PMA, their formation of foci upon PMA treatment, and the induction of anchorage-independent growth. Aside from the growth-promoting effect of PKCepsilon, we have shown that most chimeras with PKCalpha and -delta regulatory domains inhibit cell growth. These results underscore the complex contributions of the regulatory and catalytic domains to the overall behavior of PKC.

Decoupling of DNA excision repair and RNA transcription in translocation breaksite regions of plasmacytoma-susceptible BALB/cAnPt mice.

Preferential repair of pyrimidine dimers in rodent cells is thought to be directly coupled to the RNA transcription machinery. The most compelling evidence for this notion is the finding that excision repair occurs more rapidly in the template strand of DNA of transcribed genes than in the non-template strand. A thorough test of this coupling concept by careful comparison of the rate of repair to the rate of transcription of a gene and its regulatory region has not been reported. In the present study, we used nuclear run-on as a measure of transcription in the c-myc and Pvt1 genes in normal B-lymphoblasts from plasmacytoma-susceptible (BALB/cAnPt) and plasmacytoma-resistant (DBA/2N) strains of mice. Previous studies have shown that these loci, but not c-abl or Dhfr are repaired differently in mouse strains: poorly in BALB/cAnPt but efficiently in DBA/2N. The results presented here indicate that in DBA/2N cells, run-on transcription from both DNA strands can be readily detected in the regions of c-myc and Pvt1 that were efficiently repaired. Unexpectedly, however, in BALB/cAnPt lymphoblasts, transcription was equivalent to that of DBA/2N, despite a dramatic reduction in efficiency of excision repair. This finding indicates that, in BALB/cAnPt lymphoblasts, DNA repair 5' to c-myc and in Pvt1 is decoupled from the RNA transcription machinery. We postulate that this dissociation of repair and transcription represents a BALB/cAnPt-specific defect in a component of the transcription/repair complex that specifically compromises repair activity but not transcription. This defect may be responsible for the inability of normal BALB/cAnPt lymphoblasts to repair DNA sequences in the c-myc 5' flank and the Pvt1 gene, inducing gene-specific instability that predisposes these loci to genetic accidents, including chromosomal translocation, retroviral integration and other mutations.

The catalytic domain of protein kinase C-delta in reciprocal delta and epsilon chimeras mediates phorbol ester-induced macrophage differentiation of mouse promyelocytes.

The overexpression of protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta), but not PKC-epsilon, enables the mouse myeloid cell line 32D to differentiate into macrophages when treated with phorbol esters such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). To determine the domain of PKC-delta that is responsible for this isotype-specific function, cDNAs that encode reciprocal chimeras of PKC-delta and -epsilon (PKC-delta epsilon and PKC-epsilon delta) were constructed by exchanging regulatory and kinase domains using polymerase chain reaction technology. Both chimeras were stably expressed in 32D cells using the pLTR expression vector and displayed protein kinase activity upon TPA treatment. TPA treatment of L epsilon delta, cells that overexpressed the PKC-epsilon delta chimera, induced a dramatically increased cell volume, surface adherence, surface expression of Mac-1 and Mac-3, lysozyme production, and phagocytosis. These are the characteristics of the macrophage phenotype found in TPA-treated 32D cells that overexpressed PKC-delta. In contrast, little effect was seen in L delta epsilon, 32D cells that overexpressed PKC-delta epsilon, with or without TPA treatment. A PKC inhibitor directed toward the catalytic domain of PKC, GF109203X, and a selective inhibitor of PKC-delta, Rottlerin, blocked the TPA-induced differentiation of PKC-epsilon delta-overexpressing 32D cells. These results demonstrate that the catalytic domain of PKC-delta contains the primary determinants for its activity in phorbol ester-induced macrophage differentiation.

Destabilization of Raf-1 by geldanamycin leads to disruption of the Raf-1-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathway.

The serine/threonine kinase Raf-1 functions downstream of Rats in a signal transduction cascade which transmits mitogenic stimuli from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. Raf-1 integrates signals coming from extracellular factors and, in turn, activates its substrate, MEK kinase. MEK activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which phosphorylates other kinases as well as transcription factors. Raf-1 exists in a complex with HSP90 and other proteins. The benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin (GA) binds to HSP90 and disrupts the Raf-1-HSP90 multimolecular complex, leading to destabilization of Raf-1. In this study, we examined whether Raf-1 destabilization is sufficient to block the Raf-1-MEK-MAPK signalling pathway and whether GA specifically inactivates the Raf-1 component of this pathway. Using the model system of NIH 3T3 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), we show that GA does not affect the ability of protein kinase C alpha to be activated by phorbol esters, but it does block activation of MEK and MAPK. Further, GA does not decrease the activity of constitutively active MEK in transiently transfected cells. Finally, disruption of the Raf-1-MEK-MAPK signalling pathway by GA prevents both the PMA-induced proliferative response and PMA-induced activation of a MAPK-sensitive nuclear transcription factor. Thus, we demonstrate that interaction between HSP90 and Raf-1 is a sine qua non for Raf stability and function as a signal transducer and that the effects observed cannot be attributed to a general impairment of protein kinase function.

The ABL-MYC retrovirus generates antigen-specific plasmacytomas by in vitro infection of activated B lymphocytes from spleen and other murine lymphoid organs.

ABL-MYC is a recombinant retrovirus that constitutively expresses the v-abl and c-myc oncogenes. When used to infect immunized mice this virus rapidly and efficiently induces plasmacytomas of which an unusually high percentage secrete antigen (Ag)-specific monoclonal antibodies. These findings suggested that ABL-MYC targets Ag-stimulated B cells for transformation and that infection of lymphoid cells in vitro might be a useful, alternative method for generating monoclonal, Ag-specific plasmacytomas (ASPCTs). Therefore, we used helper virus-free ABL-MYC to infect suspensions of cells from spleens and other lymphoid organs from mice that had been immunized with a variety of Ags and transplanted them into naive mice. The results show that ABL-MYC preferentially transforms splenocytes that are Ag-reactive. They also demonstrate that ASPCTs can be produced by in vitro infection of cell suspensions from the spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches of mice that had been immunized intraperitoneally with sheep red blood cells, Escherichia coli core RNA polymerase or Epstein-Barr virus gp340 protein or immunized orally with live Giardia lamblia parasites. The ASPCTs usually consisted of one to three colnes, secreted antibodies that were quantitatively and qualitatively similar to those obtained from hybridomas, and could continue to secrete Ag-reactive antibody over eight transplant generations.

Overexpression of v-abl uniquely cooperates with c-myc dysregulation in induction of plasma cell tumors, bypassing the need for T-lymphocytic help and overcoming T-lymphocytic interference.

We have investigated the effects of T lymphocytes on induction of mouse plasma cell tumors. We show that ABL-MYC, a plasmacytomagenic retrovirus that constitutively expresses v-abl and c-myc, is able to induce plasmacytomas in 100% of athymic BALB/c mice, with or without intraperitoneal pristane pretreatment. Other induction regimens are ineffective under these conditions, indicating that the combination of v-abl and c-myc oncogenes is uniquely able to transform plasma cells in mice that are deficient in T lymphocytes. Furthermore, in the absence of pristane, ABL-MYC-infected athymic congenics developed plasmacytomas in half the time required for euthymic BALB/c mice, suggesting that T lymphocytes can have a negative effect and can retard, but not totally inhibit, the outgrowth of plasmacytomas. This phenomenon could not be appreciated in other regimens of plasmacytoma induction, because only ABL-MYC is sufficient to induce plasmacytomas in athymic mice or in euthymic mice in the absence of pristane pretreatment.