Role of the thymus in the control of growth and differentiation of TCGF-sensitive natural killer (NK) cells.
We analysed the phenotypic characteristics of mouse NK cells susceptible to boosting activity by T-cell-growth-factor (TCGF) and the characteristics of NK-cell progenitors able to grow in vitro in the presence of TCGF. Our data show that while both the above-mentioned cell populations are Asialo GM-1+, they differ in the expression of Thy 1 alloantigen. In addition, we also analysed the possible regulatory mechanisms capable of influencing the growth of TCGF-sensitive NK-cell progenitors. The data here reported suggest that the growth capability of NK cell progenitors is under the control of the thymus.
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010641:Phenotype; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology*
D007376:Interleukin-2