title: Evidence for a functional second thymus in mice.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terszowski
authors.forename: Susanna M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Conrad C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Bleul
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schirmbeck
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.forename: Louis Du
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amagai
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Hans-Reimer
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Rodewald
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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