p73 is expressed in human thymic epithelial cells.
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.
Ichimiya
Shingo
S
Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1 West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
Kojima
Takashi
T
Momota
Hiroyuki
H
Kondo
Nobuhiko
N
Ozaki
Toshinori
T
Nakagawara
Akira
A
Toribio
María Luisa
ML
Imamura
Masakatsu
M
Sato
Noriyuki
N
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
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C000606460:TP73 protein, human; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins