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Aberrant Expression of Tissue‐Specific Proteins in the Thymus: A Hypothesis for the Development of Central Tolerance
Author(s) -
Werdelin,
Cordes,
; Jensen
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.1998.00280.x
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , transcription factor , cell , antigen , central tolerance , gene , immunology , programmed cell death , immune tolerance , genetics , apoptosis
Herein we present the case for the existence of a thymic cortical epithelial cell that possesses an unusual gene transcription. It produces tissue‐specific proteins that have their usual physiological functions outside the thymus and presents them, as well as household proteins, to the differentiating thymocytes. We suggest that this specialized cell enforces tolerance to most self‐proteins by causing release of a signal for programmed cell death to thymocytes that express receptors for these self‐antigens.