Requirement of c-myb in T Cell Development and in Mature T Cell Function

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2004-10, Vol.101 (41), p.14853-14858
• Main Authors: Lieu, Yen K., Kumar, Atul, Pajerowski, Anthony G., Rogers, Thomas J., Reddy, E. Premkumar, Vogt, Peter K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; Autoimmune Diseases - genetics; Biological Sciences; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Cell cycle; Cell Division; Cell growth; Cell Survival; Cells; Developmental biology; Exons; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, myb - genetics; Genotype; Lymph nodes; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb - deficiency; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb - genetics; Restriction Mapping; Spleen; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Thymocytes; Thymus Gland - immunology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0405338101

Previous reports have suggested that the protooncogene c-myb participates in T cell development in the thymus and mature T cell proliferation. We have generated two T cell-specific c-myb knockout mouse models, myb/LckCre and myb/CD4Cre. We have demonstrated that c-myb is required for the development of thymocytes at the DN3 stage, for survival and proliferation of double-positive thymocytes, for differentiation of single-positive CD4 and CD8 T cells, and for the proliferative responses of mature T cells. In addition, our data show that c-myb is directly involved in the formation of double-positive CD4+CD8+CD25+, CD4+CD25+, and CD8+CD25+ T cells, developmental processes that may imply a role for c-myb in autoimmune dysfunction.