Evidence for a functional second thymus in mice.
The thymus organ supports the development of T cells and is located in the thorax. Here, we report the existence of a second thymus in the mouse neck, which develops after birth and grows to the size of a small lymph node. The cervical thymus had a typical medulla-cortex structure, was found to support T cell development, and could correct T cell deficiency in athymic nude mice upon transplantation. The identification of a regular second thymus in the mouse may provide evolutionary links to thymus organogenesis in other vertebrates and suggests a need to reconsider the effect of thoracic thymectomy on de novo T cell production.
Terszowski
Grzegorz
G
Department of Immunology, University of Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
Müller
Susanna M
SM
Bleul
Conrad C
CC
Blum
Carmen
C
Schirmbeck
Reinhold
R
Reimann
Jörg
J
Pasquier
Louis Du
LD
Amagai
Takashi
T
Boehm
Thomas
T
Rodewald
Hans-Reimer
HR
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002828:Choristoma; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007121:Immunocompetence; D038041:Lymphopoiesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009333:Neck; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D017634:Self Tolerance; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C090140:Whn protein