Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
11
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-5-20
pubmed:abstractText
Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are the predominant intrathymic source of the essential thymopoietin IL-7. Whether thymocyte-TEC interactions have a role in the regulation of IL-7 expression is not known. By exploiting IL-7 reporter mice in which yellow fluorescent protein expression identifies TECs expressing high levels of IL-7 (Il7(+) TECs), we show that Il7(+) TECs segregate from emerging medullary TECs during thymic organogenesis. Although Il7(+) TECs normally diminish with age, we found that Il7(+) TECs are markedly retained in alymphoid Rag2(-/-)Il2rg(-/-) IL-7 reporter mice that manifest a profound thymopoietic arrest. Transfer of Tcra(-/-) or wild-type (but not Rag2(-/-)) hematopoietic progenitors to alymphoid IL-7 reporter recipients normalizes the frequency of Il7(+) TECs and re-establishes cortical TEC/medullary TEC segregation. Although thymocyte-derived signals are often considered stimulatory for TEC maturation, our findings identify a negative feedback mechanism in which signals derived from TCRbeta-selected thymocytes modulate TEC-dependent IL-7 expression.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jun
pubmed:issn
1550-6606
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
184
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
5949-53
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Cutting Edge: a thymocyte-thymic epithelial cell cross-talk dynamically regulates intrathymic IL-7 expression in vivo.
pubmed:affiliation
Cytokines and Lymphoid Development Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't