title: TCR-independent T cell development mediated by gain-of-oncogene function or loss-of-tumor-suppressor gene function.
abstract: The mechanisms that govern differentiation of T cell precursors during intrathymic development bridge an interdisciplinary research field of immunology, oncology and developmental biology. Critical checkpoints controlling early thymic T cell development and homeostasis are set by the proper signaling function of the IL-7 receptor, c-Kit receptor, and the pre-T cell antigen receptor (pre-TCR). Given the intimate link between cell cycle control and differentiation in T cell development, proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors participate as physiological effectors downstream of these receptors not only to influence the cell cycle but also to determine differentiation and survival. Gain- or loss-of-function mutations of these downstream effectors uncouples partially or completely T cell precursors from these checkpoints, providing a selective advantage and enabling aberrant development. These effectors can be identified by provirus tagging in normal mice and more readily by complementation tagging in mice with a predefined block in T cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jacobs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D009857:Oncogenes; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell