title: Mouse thymus dendritic cells: kinetics of development and changes in surface markers during maturation.
abstract: The early thymus precursor population of adult mice has the capacity to generate T cells, B cells and dendritic cells (DC). These precursors were injected into the thymus of irradiated recipients in order to follow the kinetics of thymic DC development. The resultant cohort of T-lineage cells developing in the thymus was accompanied by a parallel cohort of DC, present at 10(3)-fold lower frequency. The intrathymic lifespan of these DC was as short as that of T-lineage thymocytes. As the thymic DC matured, some markers characteristic of the original precursor population gradually declined (Ly-5, c-kit, Sca-2) whereas markers characteristic of thymic DC appeared and were maintained (major histocompatibility complex class II, CD11c, NLDC-145 and CD8 alpha). Some thymic DC expressed the early B-cell marker BP-1, and BP-1 mRNA, throughout their maturation. The surface markers on thymic DC could be divided into two groups. Some markers, including class I and class II MHC, CD8 alpha and BP-1, appeared to be integral components of the DC surface. In contrast, other markers, including Thy-1, CD4 and CD8 beta, had probably been picked up from associated thymocytes.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vremec
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ardavin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winkel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Süss
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maraskovsky
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shortman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens