title: Characterization of cadherins expressed by murine thymocytes.
abstract: Thymocytes develop in close apposition to the stromal cells of the thymus. The ontogeny of thymocytes is dependent on intimate interactions between these cells and the stromal cells. The molecular mechanisms involved in regulating thymocyte-stromal cell interactions remain to be clearly defined. In this study, we utilized a polymerase chain reaction strategy to identify members of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules that are expressed by CD4+ CD8+ thymocytes, the major cell type in the thymus. One classical cadherin (E-cadherin), three atypical cadherins (OB-cadherin) K-cadherin, and cadherin-8), and two novel cadherins (T1-cadherin and T2-cadherin) were found to be expressed by the CD4+ CD8+ thymocytes. The discovery that these cells display multiple cadherins opens a new area of investigation concerning the adhesive mechanisms involved in modulating thymocyte-stromal cell interactions. We speculate that cadherins will prove to play an essential role in the ontogeny of thymocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Duclos
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Baines
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Blaschuk
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D015820:Cadherins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin; C086960:osteoblast cadherin; C087310:K cadherin