We have found that normal mouse thymus expressed mRNA for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), suggesting the presence of cell component(s) in the thymus that produces this cytokine. High levels of mRNA for LIF were observed to be constitutively expressed in the murine thymic stromal cell clone, MRL104.8a. This stromal cell clone produced potent magnitudes of LIF activity in its culture supernatant. These observations imply that LIF may also exert its growth/differentiation-regulating effect in the thymus. Thus, this thymic stromal cell clone provides a tool for investigating potential roles of LIF in the intrathymic T cell development.