Abstract
In mice, the thymus is regarded as being the primary anatomical site for the generation of immunologically competent T lymphocytes1. Such cells comprise approximately 20% of the cells in the thymus and share with T lymphocytes from peripheral lymphoid tissues certain phenotypic properties defined by anti-Lyt antibodies2,3. Thus, most immunocompetent T cells are either Lyt 1+2+ or Lyt 1+2− with the former cells being restricted to recognizing antigen in association with class I (H–2K, D) major histocompatability complex (MHC) products and the latter to class II (H–2I) MHC products4. Although evidence suggests that Lyt 1+2+ cells are generated from Lyt 1+2− precursor5,6 the independent development of two separate Lyt-defined lineages of thymocytes could not be ruled out5,7. Here, the acquisition of Lyt2 antigen by Lyt2− cells from late embryonic and early postnatal thymuses is directly demonstrated. Furthermore, by combining cell cycle and Lyt phenotype analysis on a flow microfluorometer, the role of cell division in this differentiation process has been investigated.
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Ceredig, R., Sekaly, R. & MacDonald, H. Differentiation in vitro of Lyt 2+ thymocytes from embryonic Lyt 2− precursors. Nature 303, 248–250 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/303248a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/303248a0
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