To be gammadelta or not to be gammadelta? Signaling pathways in alphabeta versus gammadelta T cell maturation.
Maturation of T cells in the thymus involves input from a number of signaling pathways; their combined input determines whether thymic precursor cells will differentiate into mature alphabeta or gammadelta T cells. This Journal Club article highlights recent research showing that the role of Notch signaling in human T cell maturation differs from that in mice. In mice, reducing Notch gene dosage in vivo promotes gammadelta T cell differentiation. In humans, an increase in Notch activity early in development will trigger gammadelta T cell development. This research emphasizes how the molecular events controlling T cell development are fundamentally different in humans and mice.
Archbold
Julia K
JK
Protein Crystallography Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. julia.archbold@med.monash.edu.au
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D051880:Receptors, Notch