Alterations in the thymocyte phenotype of EphB‐deficient mice largely affect the double negative cell compartment
Open Access
- 6 August 2008
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Immunology
- Vol. 125 (1), 131-143
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2008.02828.x
Abstract
In the present study, we have analysed the phenotype of EphB2 and/or EphB3 deficient thymocytes confirming and extending previous studies on the role of this family of molecules in T-cell differentiation. In all mutant thymuses statistically significant reduced cell contents were observed. This reduction of thymic cellularity correlated with increased proportions of apoptotic cells, largely both double negative (DN; CD4− CD8−) and double positive (CD4+ CD8+) cells, and decreased proportions of DN cycling cells. Adult deficient thymuses also showed increased proportions of DN cells but not significant variations in the percentages of other thymocyte subsets. In absolute terms, the thymocyte number decreased significantly in all thymocyte compartments from the DN3 (CD44− CD25+) cell stage onward, without variations in the numbers of both DN1 (CD44+ CD25−) and DN2 (CD44+ CD25+) cells. Remarkably, all these changes also occurred from the 15-day fetal EphB2 and/or EphB3 deficient mice, suggesting that adult phenotype results from the gradual accumulations of defects appearing early in the thymus ontogeny. As a reflection of thymus condition, a reduction in the number of T lymphocytes occurred in the peripheral blood and mesenteric lymph nodes, but not in spleen, maintaining the proportions of T-cell subsets defined by CD4/CD8 marker expression, in all cases.Keywords
This publication has 49 references indexed in Scilit:
- EphB/EphrinB Receptors and Wnt Signaling in Colorectal CancerCancer Research, 2006
- The Wnt Signaling Antagonist Kremen1 is Required for Development of Thymic ArchitectureJournal of Immunology Research, 2006
- Reduced expression of EphB2 that parallels invasion and metastasis in colorectal tumoursCarcinogenesis: Integrative Cancer Research, 2005
- Eph receptor signalling casts a wide net on cell behaviourNature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2005
- Bidirectional signaling mediated by ephrin-B2 and EphB2 controls urorectal developmentDevelopmental Biology, 2004
- Mouse EphrinB3 Augments T-cell Signaling and Responses to T-cell Receptor LigationJournal of Biological Chemistry, 2003
- Activation of the EphA2 tyrosine kinase stimulates the MAP/ERK kinase signaling cascadeOncogene, 2002
- β-Catenin and TCF Mediate Cell Positioning in the Intestinal Epithelium by Controlling the Expression of EphB/EphrinBCell, 2002
- A nonredundant role for the adapter protein Shc in thymic T cell developmentNature Immunology, 2002
- Nuk Controls Pathfinding of Commissural Axons in the Mammalian Central Nervous SystemCell, 1996