Surface Molecules That Drive T Cell Development In Vitro in the Absence of Thymic Epithelium and in the Absence of Lineage-Specific Signals

• Published in: Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 1997-03, Vol.6 (3), p.245-255
• Main Authors: Cibotti, Ricardo, Punt, Jennifer A, Dash, Krishna S, Sharrow, Susan O, Singer, Alfred
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; CD2 Antigens - analysis; CD2 Antigens - physiology; CD4 Antigens - analysis; CD8 Antigens - analysis; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Epithelium - immunology; Immunophenotyping; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - physiology; Signal Transduction - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - classification; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Thymus Gland - cytology; Thymus Gland - immunology
• ISSN: 1074-7613; 1097-4180
• DOI: 10.1016/S1074-7613(00)80327-1

Differentiation of immature double positive (DP) CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes into single positive (SP) CD4 + and CD8 + T cells is referred to as positive selection and requires physical contact with thymic cortical epithelium. We now have identified “coinducer” molecules on DP thymocytes that, together with TCR, signal DP thymocytes to differentiate into SP T cells in vitro in the absence of thymic epithelium. A remarkable number of different molecules on DP thymocytes possessed “coinducing” activity, including CD2, CD5, CD24, CD28, CD49d, CD81, and TSA-1. Interestingly, in vitro differentiation occurred in the absence of lineage-specific signals, yet resulted in the selective generation of CD4 +CD8 − T cells. Thus, the present study has identified surface molecules that can signal DP thymocytes to differentiate into SP T cells in the absence of thymic epithelium and has characterized a default pathway for CD4 + T cell differentiation.