Heterogeneity among DN1 prothymocytes reveals multiple progenitors with different capacities to generate T cell and non-T cell lineages.
The nature of early T lineage progenitors in the thymus or bone marrow remains controversial. Here we assess lineage capacity and proliferative potential among five distinct components of the earliest intrathymic stage (DN1, CD25(-)44(+)). All of these express one or more hemato-lymphoid lineage markers. All can produce T lineage cells, but only two of them display kinetics of differentiation, proliferative capacity, and other traits consistent with being canonical T progenitors. The latter also appeared limited to producing cells of the T or NK lineages, while B lineage potential derived mainly from the other, less typical T progenitors. In addition to precisely defining canonical early progenitors in the thymus, this work reconciles conflicting results from numerous groups by showing that multiple progenitors with a DN1 phenotype home to the thymus and make T cells, but possess different proliferative potentials and lineage capacities.
Porritt
Helen E
HE
The University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
Rumfelt
Lynn L
LL
Tabrizifard
Sahba
S
Schmitt
Thomas M
TM
Zúñiga-Pflücker
Juan Carlos
JC
Petrie
Howard T
HT
D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD