A novel cDNA transcript expressed in fractionated X-irradiation-induced murine thymomas.

Elucidation of the leukemogenic process induced by fractionated X-irradiation (FX) requires the identification of molecules that mediate the differentiation and regeneration of T cells. To isolate cDNA transcripts associated with FX-induced leukemia in C57BL/6 mice, a cDNA library was constructed from FX-induced thymoma mRNA and differentially screened with cDNA probes. A novel cDNA transcript, FX-induced transcript 1 (FXI-T1), showed strong differential mRNA expression in all C57BL/6 FX-induced thymomas examined when compared with normal thymus tissue. FXI-T1 was not universally expressed in proliferative or other neoplastic cells. Expression of FXI-T1 mRNA in untreated mouse organs was not restricted to the thymus; highest expression was observed in brain and skeletal muscle tissue. The translated FXI-T1 sequence encodes a basic, prolinerich protein that contains a RING-H2-finger motif. The COOH-terminal region of the putative FXI-T1 protein has sequence similarity with the COOH-terminal domain of the Drosophila deltex protein, a component of a signal pathway that functions during cell differentiation. The described observations suggest an association of FXI-T1 with FX-induced leukemogenesis. The study of FXI-T1 should contribute to an understanding of the processes of T-cell differentiation and regeneration in addition to leukemogenesis.