Cutting edge: identification of the targets of clonal deletion in an unmanipulated thymus.
Autoreactive thymocytes can be eliminated by clonal deletion during their development in the thymus. The precise developmental stage(s) at which clonal deletion occurs in a normal thymus has been difficult to assess, in large part because of the absence of a specific marker for TCR-mediated apoptosis. In this report, we reveal that Nur77 expression can be used as a specific marker of clonal deletion in an unmanipulated thymus and directly identify TCRintCD4+CD8+ and semimature CD4+CD8- thymocytes as the principal targets of deletion. These data indicate that clonal deletion normally occurs at a relatively late stage of development, as cells mature from CD4+CD8+ thymocytes to single-positive T cells.
Cho
Hyung J
HJ
Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041, USA.
Edmondson
Samuel G
SG
Miller
Arden D
AD
Sellars
MacLean
M
Alexander
Shawn T
ST
Somersan
Selin
S
Punt
Jennifer A
JA
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D017637:Clonal Deletion / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
D015415:Biomarkers; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C539818:Nr4a1 protein, mouse; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors