| First Author | Weist BM | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Nat Immunol | Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 635-41 |
| PubMed ID | 25939026 | Mgi Jnum | J:232832 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5780275 | Doi | 10.1038/ni.3171 |
| Citation | Weist BM, et al. (2015) Thymic regulatory T cell niche size is dictated by limiting IL-2 from antigen-bearing dendritic cells and feedback competition. Nat Immunol 16(6):635-41 |
| abstractText | The thymic production of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) requires interleukin 2 (IL-2) and agonist T cell antigen receptor (TCR) ligands and is controlled by competition for a limited developmental niche, but the thymic sources of IL-2 and the factors that limit access to the niche are poorly understood. Here we found that IL-2 produced by antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) had a key role in Treg cell development and that existing Treg cells limited new development of Treg cells by competing for IL-2. Our data suggest that antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that can provide both IL-2 and a TCR ligand constitute the thymic niche and that competition by existing Treg cells for a limited supply of IL-2 provides negative feedback for new production of Treg cells. |
