Role of CCL21 in recruitment of T precursor cells to fetal thymus

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Role of CCL21 in recruitment of T precursor cells to fetal thymus
Creators Name:	Liu, C., Ueno, T., Kuse, S., Saito, F., Nitta, T., Piali, L., Nakano, H., Kakiuchi, T., Lipp, M., Hollander, G.A. and Takahama, Y.
Abstract:	During embryonic development, T-lymphoid precursor cells colonize the thymus. Chemoattraction by the fetal thymus is thought to mediate T-precursor cell colonization. However, the molecules that attract T-precursor cells to the thymus remain unclear. By devising time-lapse visualization in culture, the present results show that alymphoid fetal thymus lobes attract T-precursor cells from fetal liver or fetal blood. CD4–CD8–CD25–CD44+ fetal thymocytes retained the activity to specifically re-enter the thymus. The attraction was predominantly due to I-A–expressing thymic epithelial cells and was mediated by pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein signals. Among the chemokines produced by the fetal thymus, CCL21, CCL25, and CXCL12 could attract CD4–CD8–CD25–CD44+ fetal thymocytes. However, fetal thymus colonization was markedly diminished by neutralizing antibodies specific for CCL21 and CCL25, but not affected by anti-CXCL12 antibody. Fetal thymus colonization was partially defective in CCL21-deficient plt/plt mice and was further diminished by anti-CCL25 antibody. These results indicate that CCL21 is involved in the recruitment of T-cell precursors to the fetal thymus and suggest that the combination of CCL21 and CCL25 plays a major role in fetal thymus colonization.
Keywords:	Antibodies, CC Chemokines, Chemokine CCL21, Chemokine CXCL12, Cultured Cells, Fetal Blood, Fetus, Histocompatibility Antigens Class II, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout Mice, Leukocyte Chemotaxis, Liver, Messenger RNA, Stem Cells, T-Lymphocytes, Thymus Gland, Time Factors, Animals, Mice
Source:	Blood
ISSN:	0006-4971
Publisher:	American Society of Hematology
Volume:	105
Number:	1
Page Range:	31-39
Date:	1 January 2005
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2004-04-1369
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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