The linkage between T-cell and dendritic cell development in the mouse thymus.
Thymic dendritic cells (DC) mediate negative selection at a relatively late stage of the T-cell developmental pathway. We present evidence that the development of thymic DC and of T-lineage cells is linked via a common precursor at an early stage of thymocyte development. T-lineage precursor populations from the adult mouse thymus, prior to T-cell receptor gene rearrangement, display a capacity to produce DC as well as T cells in the thymus, and are very efficient precursors of DC in culture. These lymphoid/DC precursors have little capacity to form myeloid cells, indicating that thymic DC are a lymphoid-related rather than myeloid-related lineage. In contrast to myeloid-related DC, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is not required for the development of these lymphoid-related DC in vivo or in vitro. DC can develop in mutant mice lacking mature T cells, provided the common precursors are present. However, in mutant mice lacking functional Ikaros transcription factors, there are deficiencies in lymphoid precursor cells, in mature lymphoid cells and in DC.
Shortman
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Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Vremec
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Corcoran
L M
LM
Georgopoulos
K
K
Lucas
K
K
Wu
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L
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells; D006801:Humans; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497238:Zfpn1a1 protein, mouse; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor