Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in a case of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Cells from a patient with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia contain an apparent DNA polymerase activity that was not found in any other cells except thymus cells. The enzyme has the properties of terminal transferase, an enzyme known to be found in thymocytes. The cells also contain the three major DNA polymerases found in growing cells. The results suggest that these tumor cells arose from a block in the differentiation of thymocytes. Terminal transferase may be a marker for the origin of leukemic cells.