The genetic basis of feline leukemia virus (FeLV)-induced lymphoma was investigated in a series of 63 lymphoid tumors and tumor cell lines of presumptive T-cell origin. These were examined for virus-induced rearrangements of the c-myc, flvi-2 (bmi-1), fit-1, and pim-1 loci, for T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements, and for the presence of env recombinant FeLV (FeLV-B). The myc locus was most frequently affected in naturally occurring lymphomas (32%; n = 38) either by transduction (21%) or by proviral insertion (11%). Proviral insertions were also common at flvi-2 (24%). The two other loci were occupied in a smaller number of the naturally occurring tumors (fit-1, 8%; pim-1, 5%). Examination of the entire set of tumors showed that significant numbers were affected at two (19%) or three (5%) of the loci. Occupation of the fit-1 locus was observed most frequently in tumors induced by FeLV-myc strains, while flvi-2 insertions occurred with similar frequency in the presence or absence of obvious c-myc activation. These results suggest a hierarchy of mutational events in the genesis of feline T-cell lymphomas by FeLV and implicate insertion at fit-1 as a late progression step. The strongest links observed were with T-cell development, as monitored by rearrangement status of the TCR beta-chain gene, which was positively associated with activation of myc (P < 0.001), and with proviral insertion at flvi-2 (P = 0.02). This analysis also revealed a genetically distinct subset of thymic lymphomas with unrearranged TCR beta-chain genes in which the known target loci were involved very infrequently. The presence of env recombinant FeLV (FeLV-B) showed a negative correlation with proviral insertion at fit-1, possibly due to the rapid onset of these tumors. These results shed further light on the multistep process of FeLV leukemogenesis and the relationships between lymphoid cell maturation and susceptibility to FeLV transformation.