Derivation, culture, and characterization of thymic epithelial cell lines.
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted presentation of self-peptides, generated from tissue-specific antigens, by thymic epithelial cells (TECs) is essential for development of central tolerance and for generation of the regulatory T-cell repertoire in the thymus. However, the mechanisms by which self-peptides are generated in and presented by TECs have not been well defined. To elucidate the processes involved in MHC class II-restricted presentation of self-peptides by TECs, cortical and medullary TEC lines may be established from C57BL/6 mouse thymi. Localization of a variety of molecules, including the MHC class II molecules critically involved in the presentation of antigen by TECs, may be investigated by both immunofluores-cence microscopy and Western blotting analyses. Our own studies using these approaches have demonstrated that such molecules are localized in the H2-DM+ lysosomal compartments isolated from both cortical and medullary TECs.
Kasai
Michiyuki
M
Department of Research on Blood and Biological Product, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
Mizuochi
Toshiaki
T
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002458:Cell Fractionation / Q000379:methods; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology