title: beta-Catenin expression enhances generation of mature thymocytes.
abstract: T cell factor (TCF)-1 is a T-cell-specific transcription factor that is expressed at all stages of T cell development. Deletion of the TCF-1 gene leads to an early block in thymocyte maturation precluding the study of its role at late stages and during positive selection of T cells. In this report we show that beta-catenin, a central effector in the Wnt-TCF-1 signaling pathway, regulates late stages of T cell development. Specifically, transgenic expression of beta-catenin enhances generation of mature thymocytes. Interestingly, CD8-expressing mature thymocytes were affected to a greater extent than CD4-expressing cells. These data suggest that the Wnt-beta-catenin-TCF-1 signaling pathway plays a role during late stages of T cell development.
authors.affiliation: Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mulroy
authors.forename: Youyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jyoti Misra
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006579:Heterozygote; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation; D054353:Perforin; D010641:Phenotype; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D051176:beta Catenin; D054353:Perforin