T cell development in mouse thymus : studies on lymphostromal interactions
Year: 1993
Type: dissertation
Abstract: T lymphocytes, the effectors of cell-mediated immunity, are concerned with the\ncontrol of intracellular infections: cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognize and destroy vi rally\ninfected cells, whereas helper T lymphocytes, through lymphokines, may activate\nmacrophages in killing intracellular parasites. The parasitaljviral antigens are\nrecognized by the T lymphocytes in association with molecules of the major\nhistocompatibility complex (MHC). This ability, to recognize antigens in the context of\nself-MHC molecules, also termed MHC-restriction, is learned by the T lymphocytes\nduring their development in the thymus.\nOn their pathway to development (maturation), T cells are differentially influenced by\nvarious thymic stromal cells. The stromal cells constitute microenvironments, where\ndeveloping T cells, through cell-cell interactions and locally secreted cytokines, receive\nsignals to proliferate and mature.\nThis thesis focuses on the specific role of thymic microenvironments in promoting\nsequential stages in T cell development in the murine thymus. Our understanding of\nthese lymphostromal interactions will be introduced in this chapter, containing three\nmajor sections. The first section on "Development and architecture of thymic\nmicroenvironments" discusses the variety of thymic microenvironments that have\npresently been identified. The phenotypic characterization of thymic microenvironments,\npresented in this section, is more extensively reviewed in chapter 2. The\nsecond section on ''T cell differentiation" introduces a major pathway of T cell\ndifferentiation, including the a/3 and the yo T cell lineages, showing the complexity of\nthis process. The third section on "Lymphostromal interactions" links the different\ntypes of stromal cells to distinct stages ofT cell development. The chapter ends with\nan "Introduction to the experimental work".
Author: P. Brekelmans
Language: English
Topic: T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W182583785