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CREB function is required for normal thymic cellularity and post‐irradiation recovery
Author(s) -
Baumann Sven,
Kyewski Bruno,
Bleckmann Susanne C.,
Greiner Erich,
Rudolph Dorothea,
Schmid Wolfgang,
Ramsay Robert G.,
Krammer Peter H.,
Schütz Günther,
Mantamadiotis Theo
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.200324826
Subject(s) - creb , biology , creb1 , transcription factor , phosphorylation , microbiology and biotechnology , t cell , t cell receptor , receptor , cancer research , endocrinology , medicine , immunology , immune system , biochemistry , gene
Abstract Recent generation of genetically modified Creb1 mutant mice has revealed an important role for CREB (cAMP responsive element binding protein) and the related proteins CREM (cAMP responsive element modulator) and ATF1 (activating transcription factor 1) in cell survival, in agreement with previous studies using overexpression of dominant‐negative CREB (dnCREB). CREB and ATF1 are abundantly expressed in T cells and are rapidly activated by phosphorylation when T cells are stimulated through the T cell antigen receptor. We show that T cell‐specific loss of CREB in mice, in combination with the loss of ATF1, results in reduced thymic cellularity and delayed thymic recovery following sublethal irradiation but no changes in T cell development or activation. These data show that loss of CREB function has specific effects on thymic T lymphocyte proliferation and homeostasis in vivo .