| First Author | Kaneta M | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 164 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 256-64 |
| PubMed ID | 10605019 | Mgi Jnum | J:112381 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3656183 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.164.1.256 |
| Citation | Kaneta M, et al. (2000) A role for pref-1 and HES-1 in thymocyte development. J Immunol 164(1):256-64 |
| abstractText | T lymphocyte development requires a series of interactions between developing thymocytes and thymic epithelial (TE) cells. In this paper we show that TE cells in the developing thymus express Pref-1, a Delta-like cell-surface molecule. In fetal thymus organ cultures (FTOC), thymocyte cellularity was increased by the exogenous dimeric Pref-1 fusion protein, but was reduced by the soluble Pref-1 monomer or anti-Pref-1 Ab. Dimeric Pref-1 in FTOC also increased thymocyte expression of the HES-1 transcription factor. Thymocyte cellularity was increased in FTOC repopulated with immature thymocytes overexpressing HES-1, whereas FTOC from HES-1-deficient mice were hypocellular and unresponsive to the Pref-1 dimer. We detected no effects of either Pref-1 or HES-1 on developmental choice among thymocyte lineages. These results indicate that Pref-1 expressed by TE cells and HES-1 expressed by thymocytes are critically involved in supporting thymocyte cellularity. |
