| First Author | Veinotte LL | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Blood | Volume | 111 |
| Issue | 8 | Pages | 4201-8 |
| PubMed ID | 18227350 | Mgi Jnum | J:134359 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3785360 | Doi | 10.1182/blood-2007-04-087577 |
| Citation | Veinotte LL, et al. (2008) Unique subset of natural killer cells develops from progenitors in lymph node. Blood 111(8):4201-8 |
| abstractText | Natural killer (NK) cells have been thought to develop from committed progenitors in the bone marrow. However, a novel pathway of thymus-dependent NK-cell development that produces a unique subset of NK cells expressing CD127 has recently been reported. We now have identified 2 populations of NK progenitors, one in the thymus and the other in the lymph node (LN). Immature double-negative 2 (CD4(-)CD8(-)CD44(+)CD25(+)) thymocytes have potential to produce NK cells with rearranged T-cell receptor gamma genes (Tcrgamma(+)) in vitro. Tcrgamma(+) NK cells are rare in spleen but relatively abundant in the thymus and LN. Approximately 20% of LN NK cells are Tcrgamma(+), and they are found at similar levels in both CD127(+) and CD127(-) subsets. Moreover, a subpopulation of LN cells resembling immature thymocytes differentiates into Tcrgamma(+) NK cells in vitro and also repopulates the NK compartment in lymphopenic mice. Athymic mice lack the LN NK progenitors expressing CD127 as well as Tcrgamma(+) NK cells. These results suggest that Tcrgamma(+) NK cells may be generated from unique progenitors in the thymus as well as in the LN. |
