title: p73 is expressed in human thymic epithelial cells.
abstract: The thymus is a heterogeneous immune organ in which immature T-cells develop and eventually specialize to make certain immune responses of their own. Among various types of stromal cells in the thymus, thymic epithelial cells (TECs) have a crucially important function for presenting self-antigens and secreting cytokines to thymocytes for their maturation into T-cells. In this study we show that the p73 gene, a homologue of the tumor suppressor gene p53, was expressed in the nucleus of the human TEC in vivo and in TEC lines in vitro. Because p73 has the capacity to be a transactivator like p53, it may contribute to T-cell development in the context of TEC biology as regulated in the cell cycle and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1 West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichimiya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Momota
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakagawara
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Toribio
authors.forename: Masakatsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C000606460:TP73 protein, human; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins