Central tolerance matters.
In this issue of Immunity, Anderson et al. provide another clue to the riddle that is Aire--why do human beings and mice lacking Aire develop diffuse and pathogenic autoimmunity? They find that Aire influences central tolerance not only by promoting the expression of peripheral self-proteins in thymic medullary epithelial cells (MECs) but also by furnishing these cells with the apparatus for effective antigen presentation ().
Goldrath
Ananda W
AW
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, USA.
Hedrick
Stephen M
SM
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016884:Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D017634:Self Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000096927:AIRE Protein
D014157:Transcription Factors; D000096927:AIRE Protein