Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 43, Issue 8, Pages 1988-1994Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/eji.201343759
Keywords
IFN-; IL-17; T-cell development; T-cell ontogeny; T-cell subsets
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Funding
- Wellcome Trust
- EMBO Young Investigator Program
- European Research Council [StG_260352]
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DFG PR727 4-1, DFG PR727 5-1]
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The thymus generates T cells that are generally functionally immature and thus require peripheral activation for differentiation into effector lymphocytes. Notable exceptions to this rule are murine T cells, many of which have been shown to acquire their functional potential during thymic development from late embryonic stages. Here, we review the underlying ontogenic processes and molecular differentiation mechanisms of murine T cells, focusing on the transcriptional control of IFN- and IL-17 expression. We propose that functional commitment of T cells occurs in developmental windows defined by the molecular composition of the thymic microenvironment, such as T-cell receptor (TCR), TCR coreceptor ligands, and cytokines. We further discuss the similarities and particularities of functional development of T cells in mice and humans, while highlighting some key unresolved issues for future investigation.
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