The oncogene kit has been shown genetically to map in the W locus of the mouse. This locus is known to have an important role in the regulation of normal hemopoietic stem cell growth. The blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia may be considered to arise in predeterministic stem cells. Accordingly, we sought evidence that kit was involved in the regulation of AML blast growth, using a cDNA probe to the external domain of c-kit. With this probe the gene was found to be in germline configuration in blast cells from AML, ALL, and continuous myeloblastic cell lines. However, expression could be detected by Northern analysis or RNA dot blots only in fresh AML blast cells. Fresh cells from ALL patients, normal bone marrow, PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, and four myeloblastic continuous cell lines were expression negative by the same techniques.