Journal
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 174, Issue 4, Pages 1906-1912Publisher
AMER ASSOC IMMUNOLOGISTS
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.4.1906
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Through analysis of athymic (nu/nu) mice carrying a transgenic gene encoding GFP instead of RAG-2 product, it has recently been reported that, in the absence of thymopoiesis, mesenterie lymph nodes and Peyer's patches (PP) but not gut cryptopatches are pivotal birthplace of mature T cells such as the thymus-independent intestinal intraepithelial T cells (IEL). To explore and evaluate this important issue, we generated nu/nu mice lacking all lymph nodes (LN) and PP by administration of lymphotoxin-beta receptor-Ig and TNF receptor 55-Ig fusion proteins into the timed pregnant nu/+ mice that had been mated with male nu/nu mice (nu/nu LNP- mice). We also generated nu/nu aly/ay (aly, alymphoplasia) double-mutant mice that inherently lacked all LN, PP, and isolated lymphoid follicles. Although gammadelta-IEL were slightly smaller in number than those in nu/nu mice, substantial colonization of gammadelta-1EL was found to take place in the intestinal epithelia of nu/nu LNP- and nu/nu aly/aly mice. Notably, the population size of a major CD8alphaalpha(+) gammadelta-IEL subset was maintained, the use of TCR-gamma-chain variable gene segments by these gammadelta-IEL was unaltered, and the development of cryptopatches remained intact in these nu/nu LNP- and nu/nu aly/aly mice. These findings indicate that all LN, including mesenteric LN, PP, and isolated lymphoid follicles, are not an absolute requirement for the development of gammadelta-IEL in athymic nu/nu mice.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available