title: Thymic epithelial cells use macroautophagy to turn their inside out for CD4 T cell tolerance.
abstract: During development in the thymus, each T lymphocyte is equipped with one, essentially unique, T cell receptor (TCR)-specificity. Due to its random nature, this process inevitably also leads to the emergence of potentially dangerous T lymphocytes that may recognize 'self.' Nevertheless, autoimmune tissue destruction, the cause of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes, is the exception rather than the rule. This state of immunological self-tolerance is to a large degree based upon a process called 'negative selection': prior to joining the circulating lymphocyte pool, immature T cells test their receptor on self-antigens within the thymic microenvironment, and TCR engagement at this immature stage elicits an apoptotic suicide program. We now find evidence that macroautophagy supports the tolerogenic presentation of self-antigens in the thymus.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aichinger
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nedjic
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008954:Models, Biological; D010588:Phagosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II
keywords: MHC class II; antigen presentation; central tolerance; promiscuous gene expression; thymic epithelium; thymus