Gene regulatory networks and the determination of lymphoid cell fates.
Considerable progress has been achieved in the identification and analysis of regulatory molecules that orchestrate B and T cell fate determination. IL-7 and Notch signaling appear to represent analogous pathways that direct B and T cell fates, respectively. For the B lineage, it is possible to assemble the various signaling components and transcription factors into a coherent gene regulatory network. At present, it is not possible to assemble an equivalently precise network for the T lineage as fewer components have been analyzed and their connectivity remains to be more fully explored. However, the ability to manipulate T cell development in a simple culture system using Notch ligand-expressing stromal cells is greatly facilitating analysis of this pathway.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. hsingh@uchicago.edu
Harinder
H
Singh
Jagan Mr
JM
Pongubala
D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology
D015851:Interleukin-7; D051880:Receptors, Notch