Characterization of T lymphocyte colony-forming cells in the mouse. The colony-forming cell is confined to Lyt-1,2,3+ cell subsets in the thymus and the lymph nodes.
When cell populations from the thymus were studied with FACS, it was found consistently that the brightly labeled Thy-1.2+ populations contained very few T colony-forming cells (CFC), while these latter cells were numerous in the cell populations showing lower Thy-1.2 antigen density. This was paralleled by findings after peanut agglutinin (PNA) separation that showed enrichment of CFC in the PNA-negative medullary population, and by sorting based on TL, T-200, and H-2 determinants or light scatter properties of the cells. By FACS sorting of Lyt-labeled thymic cells, it was also shown that CFC were predominantly present in cell populations that were brightly Lyt-1+, and exclusively in populations that were Lyt-2+ and Lyt-3+. After FACS sorting of lymph node cells, no major differences in colony formation were found between dully- and brightly-labeled Thy-1.2+ or Lyt-1+ populations, or between lymphoid cells showing different light scatter characteristics. In addition, it was shown that CFC--like thymic CFC--were of the Lyt-1,2,3+ phenotype. It is concluded that the CFC may be present in several differentiation steps of Lyt-1,2,3+ cell lines, and that the frequency of these cells increases from the thymic cortex via the medulla and to peripheral lymphoid tissues.
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens