title: T cell receptor expression by T cells that mature extrathymically in nude mice.
abstract: The expression of TCR by T cells that mature extrathymically in nude mice was determined by staining Ig- cells from B10 nude mice that were 5 months of age or older with mAbs specific for CD3, alpha/beta or gamma/delta TCR. Although the majority of Ig- cells in older nude mice express TCR, the distribution of alpha/beta and gamma/delta TCR in relation to CD4 and CD8 expression is markedly different compared to T cells from euthymic mice. Approximately half of the CD3+ T cells found in the spleen and lymph nodes of nude mice express gamma/delta TCR that is equally distributed between CD4-8- double-negative and CD8+ single-positive T cells. These data provide the first quantitative measure of the expression of TCR by T cells that mature in the absence of a thymus and suggest that the extrathymic environment, although not efficient, is permissive for the maturation of T cells that express alpha/beta and gamma/delta TCR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell