Cervical thymus in the mouse.
Although thymic ectopy has long been recognized in humans, the functional activity or potential immunological significance of this thymic tissue is unknown. In this study, we describe murine thymic ectopy, cervical thymic tissue that possesses the same general organization as the thoracic thymus, that is able to support T cell differentiation, and that can export T cells to the periphery. Unexpectedly, the pattern of autoantigen expression by ectopic thymic tissue differs from that of the thoracic thymus, raising the possibility that these two thymic environments may project different versions of self.
Dooley
James
J
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washinton School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Erickson
Matthew
M
Gillard
Geoffrey O
GO
Farr
Andrew G
AG
D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002828:Choristoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009333:Neck; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013909:Thorax; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D001324:Autoantigens