title: Neither lymphotoxin alpha nor lymphotoxin beta receptor expression is required for biogenesis of lymphoid aggregates or differentiation of natural killer cells in the pregnant mouse uterus.
abstract: Gene ablation studies in mice indicate that lymphotoxin (LT)alpha, LTbeta and LTbetaR are essential for the genesis of lymph nodes (LN), normal structural development of peripheral lymphoid tissues and the differentiation of natural killer (NK) cells. LTbetaR binds to the heterotrimeric cytokines LTalpha1beta2 and LIGHT. LTs also regulate stromal cell expression of lymphocyte homing chemokines. Uterine decidualization in normal (+/+) mice is accompanied by the appearance and maturation of large numbers of uterine NK (uNK) cells that differentiate from precursors mobilized to the uterus from secondary lymphoid tissues. uNK cells accumulate in a transient, lymphocyte-rich region known as the metrial gland or, more recently, the mesometrial lymphoid aggregrate of pregnancy (MLAp). To determine if LTs contribute to development of the MLAp, and to the differentiation and/or localization of uNK cells, a histological study was undertaken of implantation sites from LTalpha null, LTbetaR null and gestation day-matched, normal mice. Implantation sites from the gene-ablated mice contained abundant numbers of uNK cells that localized appropriately. This indicates that the stromally derived molecules supporting NK cell differentiation in the uterus differ from those used in secondary lymphoid organs.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kather
authors.forename: Sirirak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chantakru
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Kanwal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minhas
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Udo R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Markert
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
authors.forename: B Anne
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Croy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D003656:Decidua / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology*; D053259:Lymphotoxin beta Receptor; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053308:Lymphotoxin-beta; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C505887:Ltb protein, mouse; C505699:Ltbr protein, mouse; D053259:Lymphotoxin beta Receptor; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D053308:Lymphotoxin-beta; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor