title: Thymic stromal cell clone with nursing activity supports the growth and differentiation of murine CD4+8+ thymocytes in vitro.
abstract: Thymic stromal cell clone, TNC-R3.1 cell, was established from spontaneous AKR/J mouse thymoma. TNC-R3.1 cell, which has the similar properties to thymic nurse cells, formed a unique complex with normal thymocyte subpopulations. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that CD4+8+ and CD4-8- immature thymocytes preferentially interacted with TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone. CD4+8+ thymocytes, which interacted with TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone, contained a higher proportion of large size and cycling T cells than did noninteracting CD4+8+ thymocytes. As is generally accepted, CD4+8+ thymocytes did not respond to any stimulation such as IL-2, anti-CD3 mAb (2C11), or IL-2 plus 2C11. However, culture of isolated CD4+8+ thymocytes on TNC-R3.1 stromal cell monolayer in the presence of suboptimal dose of IL-2 induced a significant cell growth. Moreover, the addition of 2C11 and IL-2 into this coculture system resulted in a dramatic increase of the proliferative response of thymocytes. Flow cytometry analysis showed the proliferating cells on TNC-R3.1, which originated from CD4+8+ thymocytes, were mostly TCR-alpha beta+ CD3+CD4-8+ T cells. These results provide in vitro evidence that CD4+8+ thymocytes are at an intermediate stage of T cell maturation and TNC-R3.1 stromal cell clone induces the growth and differentiation of CD4+8+ thymocytes into CD4-8+ T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akatsuka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamaoki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*