Regulatory factors in lymphoid development.
The process of T lymphocyte maturation within the thymus involves a complex series of differentiation events involving T cell receptor gene rearrangement and expression. A beginning has now been made at defining the growth and differentiation signals required for these events. An additional level of complexity is provided by the selection of the repertoire of T cell specificities so that the pool of peripheral T cells available for interaction with antigens is 'shaped' by the thymus. The maturation of stem cells to B lymphocytes takes place in association with bone marrow stromal cells. Large numbers of newly-formed B cells can now be generated in vitro on stromal cell layers. Stromal cells capable of supporting B lymphopoiesis have now been cloned and, recently, a growth factor (IL-7) which acts on early B cells has been identified.
Owen
J J
JJ
Jenkinson
E J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation