Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.
Subscribe

Sci. Signal., 19 July 2011
Vol. 4, Issue 182, p. ra47
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2001765]

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Editor's Summary

Driving Thymocyte Development
The development of thymocytes into two different classes of T cells, as defined by their T cell receptors (TCRs), depends on the abundance of distinct TCR chains (αβ versus {gamma}{delta}) at the cell surface and on the relative strengths of the signals generated by these receptors. Signal initiation at the point at which cell fate is determined (the β checkpoint) is ligand-independent and thought to be a result of the oligomerization of TCRs, which triggers downstream signaling. However, Mahtani-Patching et al. showed that thymocytes expressing preTCR (the precursor of αβ) or {gamma}{delta} TCRs devoid of the extracellular domains or residues previously implicated in receptor oligomerization can still drive thymocytes through the β selection checkpoint. Furthermore, thymocytes expressing TCR{gamma}{delta} that lacked all of their extracellular immunoglobulin domains also underwent signal initiation. Together, these findings suggest that thymocyte cell fate is controlled by the relative abundance of the appropriate TCR chains at the cell surface, rather than by their oligomerization.

Citation: J. Mahtani-Patching, J. F. Neves, D. J. Pang, K. V. Stoenchev, A. M. Aguirre-Blanco, B. Silva-Santos, D. J. Pennington, PreTCR and TCR{gamma}{delta} Signal Initiation in Thymocyte Progenitors Does Not Require Domains Implicated in Receptor Oligomerization. Sci. Signal. 4, ra47 (2011).

Read the Full Text

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
B7-CD28 Costimulatory Signals Control the Survival and Proliferation of Murine and Human {gamma}{delta} T Cells via IL-2 Production.
J. C. Ribot, A. deBarros, L. Mancio-Silva, A. Pamplona, and B. Silva-Santos (2012)
J. Immunol. 189, 1202-1208
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Temporal Predisposition to {alpha}{beta} and {gamma}{delta} T Cell Fates in the Thymus.
P. Pereira, L. Boucontet, and A. Cumano (2012)
J. Immunol. 188, 1600-1608
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882