title: Glia maturation factor produced by thymic epithelial cells plays a role in T cell differentiation in the thymic microenvironment.
abstract: In order to determine molecules on thymic epithelial cells which play an important role in the process of T cell differentiation, mAb recognizing thymic epithelial cells were made using stromal cells of the embryonic thymus at 15-gestation date. Among many mAb, a specific one was selected in terms of its inhibition of T cell development in an in vitro culture system of the embryonic thymus. cDNA of the protein recognized by one of the mAb was obtained by a panning method. Sequence analysis revealed that the protein was identical to glia maturation factor (GMF)-beta. Northern blot analysis confirmed the expression of GMF-beta mRNA in the thymus and brain. Furthermore, immunoblotting analysis identified the production of GMF-beta protein in the thymus, the brain and a thymic epithelial cell line. GMF-beta protein prepared by a glutathione-S-transferase gene fusion system greatly influenced T cell development in the in vitro culture system of the embryonic thymus in favor of a significant increase of CD4(+) T cells with expression of TCRbeta. These data taken together suggest that GMF-beta protein is produced by thymic epithelial cells and plays a role in T cell development in favor of CD4(+) T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Aging and Developmental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyou-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Utsuyama
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Michiyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Katsuiku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020904:Glia Maturation Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D020904:Glia Maturation Factor