Post- thymic in vivo expansion of mature alpha beta T cells.
To discriminate whether peripheral T cell expansion is a property of pluripotent T cell precursors or of T lymphocytes precommitted to the expression of a single T cell receptor, we have evaluated the repopulation capacity of T lymphocytes expressing defined V beta gene products after transfer into syngeneic nude mice. The results showed no difference in the expansion potential of cells expressing different V beta s. The frequency of cells bearing different V beta gene products in the donor and the expanded cell populations are very similar, even when sorted populations enriched or deleted in T cells expressing a defined V beta gene product were used as a source of donor cells. These results demonstrate that peripheral T cells expressing alpha beta TCR are fully competent of extensive division in the peripheral pools.
Pereira
P
P
Unité d'Immunobiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Rocha
B
B
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta