Peripheral T cell lymphopenia and concomitant enrichment in naturally arising regulatory T cells: the case of the pre-Talpha gene-deleted mouse |
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Authors: | Bosco Nabil Agenes Fabien Rolink Antonius G Ceredig Rhodri |
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Affiliation: | Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 548, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique-Grenoble, Grenoble, France. |
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Abstract: | In pre-Talpha (pTalpha) gene-deleted mice, the positively selectable CD4+ CD8+ double-positive thymocyte pool is only 1% that in wild-type mice. Consequently, their peripheral T cell compartment is severely lymphopenic with a concomitant increase in proportion of CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras, where thymic output was 1% normal, the pTalpha(-/-) peripheral T cell phenotype could be reproduced with normal cells. In the pTalpha(-/-) thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs, FoxP3+ CD4+ cells were enriched. Parabiosis experiments showed that many pTalpha(-/-) CD4+ single-positive thymocytes represented recirculating peripheral T cells. Therefore, the enrichment of FoxP3+ CD4+ single-positive thymocytes was not solely due to increased thymic production. Thus, the pTalpha(-/-) mouse serves as a model system with which to study the consequences of chronic decreased thymic T cell production on the physiology of the peripheral T cell compartment. |
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