Development of CD4+ macrophages from intrathymic T cell progenitors is induced by thymic epithelial cells |
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Authors: | Esashi Eiji Ito Hiroaki Ishihara Katsuhiko Hirano Toshio Koyasu Shigeo Miyajima Atsushi |
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Affiliation: | Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. |
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Abstract: | It was recently demonstrated that there are CD4(+) macrophages, which exhibit strong phagocytic activity, in the thymus. They are suggested to play an important role for the elimination of apoptotic thymocytes. However, the origin and nature of CD4(+) macrophages in the thymus remain unexplored. In this study, we describe that the most immature intrathymic progenitors (CD25(-)/CD44(+)/FcR(+)) give rise to CD4(+) macrophages by oncostatin M-responsive thymic epithelial cells (ORTEC) in an IL-7-dependent manner. Neither conditioned medium of ORTEC nor a mixture of cytokines induced CD4(+) macrophages, and oncostatin M receptor was not expressed in thymocytes, suggesting that the development of CD4(+) macrophages from the immature thymocytes requires a direct interaction with ORTEC. These results collectively suggest that the development of CD4(+) macrophages from the intrathymic T cell progenitors is induced by thymic epithelial cells. |
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