Kimura M, Nakayama T
Department of Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University.
Nihon Rinsho. 1999 Feb;57(2):267-72.
Intracellular signaling events required for T cell development in the thymus have been investigated using various gene deficient and transgenic mice. Here, we summarize and discuss the recent results. Immature thymocytes immigrated from bone marrow are found to be committed to lymphoid lineage. First, the lymphoid progenitor proliferates in IL-7-dependent manner, and differentiates into the cells expressing preTCR complex. The expression of preTCR is required for differentiation to CD4+ CD8+ cells. Then, CD4+ CD8+ cells express TCR alpha beta and are subjected to positive and negative selection. Essential molecules for these selection events and gene activation required for lineage commitment to CD4 or CD8 T cells are getting clear. In the near future, molecular mechanisms governing each developmental step of T cells will be clarified.
利用各种基因缺陷和转基因小鼠，对胸腺中T细胞发育所需的细胞内信号事件进行了研究。在此，我们总结并讨论最近的研究结果。发现从骨髓迁移来的未成熟胸腺细胞已定向于淋巴谱系。首先，淋巴祖细胞以依赖白细胞介素-7的方式增殖，并分化为表达前T细胞受体复合物的细胞。前T细胞受体的表达是分化为CD4+CD8+细胞所必需的。然后，CD4+CD8+细胞表达TCRαβ，并经历阳性和阴性选择。这些选择事件的关键分子以及定向分化为CD4或CD8 T细胞所需的基因激活正逐渐明晰。在不久的将来，控制T细胞各个发育阶段的分子机制将得到阐明。
