Lymphotoxin Signals from Positively Selected Thymocytes Regulate the Terminal Differentiation of Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells

Lymphotoxin signals from positively selected thymocytes regulate the terminal differentiation of medullary thymic epithelial cells.

The thymic medulla represents a key site for the induction of T cell tolerance. In particular, autoimmune regulator (Aire)-expressing medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) provide a spectrum of tissue-restricted Ags that, through both direct presentation and cross-presentation by dendritic cells, purge the developing T cell repertoire of autoimmune specificities. Despite this role, the mech...

Thymic Medullary Epithelial Cells Are Lymphotoxin Pathway and Aire Influences

Lymphotoxin b Receptor Regulates the Development of CCL21-Expressing Subset of Postnatal Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells

Lymphotoxin β receptor regulates the development of CCL21-expressing subset of postnatal medullary thymic epithelial cells.

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) play a pivotal role in the establishment of self-tolerance in T cells by ectopically expressing various tissue-restricted self-Ags and by chemoattracting developing thymocytes. The nuclear protein Aire expressed by mTECs contributes to the promiscuous expression of self-Ags, whereas CCR7-ligand (CCR7L) chemokines expressed by mTECs are responsible for t...

Interferons mediate terminal differentiation of human cortical thymic epithelial cells.

In the thymus, epithelial cells comprise a heterogeneous population required for the generation of functional T lymphocytes, suggesting that thymic epithelium disruption by viruses may compromise T-cell lymphopoiesis in this organ. In a previous report, we demonstrated that in vitro, measles virus induced differentiation of cortical thymic epithelial cells as characterized by (i) cell growth ar...