English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

T lymphocytes mature in the thymus to become functional T cells. Studies with chimeric mice and T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (tg) mice have indicated that the major histocompatibility gene complex (MHC) of thymic radio-resistant (presumed to be epithelial) cells positively select the MHC-restricted T cell repertoire. Surprisingly, mice without a thymus reconstituted with an MHC-incompatible thymus generate effector T cells which are, in general, specific for the host and not for the thymic MHC. The present study reanalyzed this longstanding paradox in nude mice that were reconstituted with an MHC-incompatible thymus plus or minus immunologically defective bone marrow-derived cells or in nude mice expressing a transgenic T cell receptor. A pathway of thymus-dependent but thymic MHC-independent T cell maturation is revealed where expansion of the antiviral T cell repertoire depends on the MHC of bone marrow-derived cells. These results indicate an alternative, if not a general, pathway of T cell maturation and selection: the thymus may function essentially as an organ promoting T cell receptor expression; T cell specificity, however, reflects repertoire expansion plus cell survival and effector T cell induction driven by the MHC of bone marrow-derived cells. Therefore pure thymus defects can be efficiently reconstituted by allo- and xenogeneic thymic grafts.

On the role of thymic epithelium vs. bone marrow-derived cells in repertoire selection of T cells