| First Author | Yu VW | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | J Exp Med | Volume | 212 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 759-74 |
| PubMed ID | 25918341 | Mgi Jnum | J:222785 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5645600 | Doi | 10.1084/jem.20141843 |
| Citation | Yu VW, et al. (2015) Specific bone cells produce DLL4 to generate thymus-seeding progenitors from bone marrow. J Exp Med 212(5):759-74 |
| abstractText | Production of the cells that ultimately populate the thymus to generate alpha/beta T cells has been controversial, and their molecular drivers remain undefined. Here, we report that specific deletion of bone-producing osteocalcin (Ocn)-expressing cells in vivo markedly reduces T-competent progenitors and thymus-homing receptor expression among bone marrow hematopoietic cells. Decreased intrathymic T cell precursors and decreased generation of mature T cells occurred despite normal thymic function. The Notch ligand DLL4 is abundantly expressed on bone marrow Ocn(+) cells, and selective depletion of DLL4 from these cells recapitulated the thymopoietic abnormality. These data indicate that specific mesenchymal cells in bone marrow provide key molecular drivers enforcing thymus-seeding progenitor generation and thereby directly link skeletal biology to the production of T cell-based adaptive immunity. |
