Thymic dendritic cells and T cells develop simultaneously in the thymus from a common precursor population.
Dendritic cells, a minor cell population in lymphoid tissues, are specialized for presentation of antigenic peptides to T lymphocytes. Thymic dendritic cells are involved in the deletion of self-reactive T lymphocytes. Although all dendritic cells are ultimately of bone-marrow origin, it has not been clear whether thymic dendritic cells are produced in the adult thymus from a precursor cell or whether they migrate there preformed from the periphery. Recently we isolated from adult mouse thymus a population of early T precursors that could still form B lymphocytes, but not erythroid or myeloid cells, when transferred intravenously. Here we show that these thymic lymphoid precursor cells, as well as bone-marrow haematopoietic stem cells, are able to form both dendritic cells and T-cell progeny when transferred into an irradiated thymus. Such linked development may ensure that developing T cells are negatively selected predominantly by self antigens presented on newly formed thymic dendritic cells.
Ardavin
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C
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Wu
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Li
C L
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Shortman
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K
D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*