Generation of cytolytic T lymphocytes in thymectomized, irradiated, and bone marrow-reconstituted mice.
A model system has been developed to study extrathymic T cell differentiation. Mice have been thymectomized, lethally irradiated, and reconstituted with bone marrow cells depleted of Thy-1-positive cells. After 8 wk, the spleen cells of these 5athymic, bone marrow-reconstituted chimeras contain Thy-1-positive pre-cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) that are able to respond to antigen only when exogenous interleukin 2 is added to culture.. The phenotype of these pre-CTL is similar to that of thymocytes, suggesting that they may be an immature T cell. Initial evaluation of the CTL repertoire of these athymic mice demonstrates that the CTL generated to trinitrophenyl-modified syngeneic cells are H-2 restricted and that the CTL generated to alloantigens have many of the cross-reactivities observed in normal but not in nude mice. The discrepancies observed in the CTL repertoire between these thymectomized chimeras and nude mice are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002678:Chimera; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013934:Thymectomy
D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens