Chromosome 15 trisomy in spontaneous and carcinogen-induced murine lymphomas of B-cell origin.

G-banding analyses of 14 independently derived B-cell lymphomas showed the frequent occurrence of chromosome 15 trisomy. It was present in seven of nine spontaneous B-cell lymphomas, but in company with other trisomies, monosomies and marker chromosomes. In five carcinogen-induced primary B-cell leukemias, trisomy 15 was the dominating change. Taken together with the previously demonstrated importance of chromosome 15 trisomy for T-cell leukemogenesis and of the 12;15 translocation in plasmacytogenesis in the mouse, it appears likely that the distal part of chromosome 15 carries a cluster of genes, perhaps a supergene region, that may play an important role in the differentiation and/or the normal responsiveness of various lymphoreticular cell types to growth control.