Antigen Challenge Inhibits Thymic Emigration

Antigen challenge inhibits thymic emigration.

T cell development in the thymus involves a series of TCR-mediated control points including TCR-beta selection and positive and negative selection. Approximately half of the thymic sojourn is spent in the medulla, where thymocytes undergo final maturation before emigrating to the periphery. Although it is acknowledged that thymic emigration is an active process, relatively little is known about...

Thymic emigration revisited

Conventional alphabeta T cell precursors undergo positive selection in the thymic cortex. When this is successful, they migrate to the medulla and are exposed to tissue-specific antigens (TSA) for purposes of central tolerance, and they undergo maturation to become functionally responsive T cells. It is commonly understood that thymocytes spend up to 2 wk in the medulla undergoing these final m...

Thymic Emigration: When and How T Cells

The Tec Kinase ITK Regulates Thymic Expansion, Emigration, and Maturation of gd NKT Cells

The Tec family tyrosine kinase, Itk, regulates signaling downstream of the TCR. The absence of Itk in CD4 + T cells results in impaired Th2 responses along with defects in maturation, cytokine production, and survival of iNKT cells. Paradoxically, Itk 2/2 mice have spontaneously elevated serum IgE levels, resulting from an expansion of the Vg1.1 + Vd6.3 + subset of gd T cells, known as gd NKT c...

The Tec kinase ITK regulates thymic expansion, emigration, and maturation of γδ NKT cells.

The Tec family tyrosine kinase, Itk, regulates signaling downstream of the TCR. The absence of Itk in CD4(+) T cells results in impaired Th2 responses along with defects in maturation, cytokine production, and survival of iNKT cells. Paradoxically, Itk(-/-) mice have spontaneously elevated serum IgE levels, resulting from an expansion of the Vγ1.1(+)Vδ6.3(+) subset of γδ T cells, known as γδ NK...