2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Development and function of thymic microenvironments
| Project Area | Analysis and synthesis of multi-dimensional immune organ network |
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| Project/Area Number |
24111004
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Review Section |
Biological Sciences
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokushima |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | 免疫学 / 胸腺 / 胸腺上皮細胞 / ストローマ細胞 / Tリンパ球分化 / レパトア選択 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This study revealed a novel aspect of positive selection, in which T cell antigen-receptor affinity for positively selecting peptides produced by cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) determines the subsequent antigen responsiveness of mature T cells in the periphery. It was also found that cTEC expression of beta5t, which governs positive selection of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, is directly promoted by transcription factor Foxn1. Moreover, this study identified that postnatal medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which establish self-tolerance in T cells, are derived from perinatal bipotent progenitors that exhibit cTEC-like gene expression profiles. Essential role of CCL21 expressed by a subpopulation of mTECs in the establishment of central self-tolerance in T cells was also described.
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| Free Research Field |
免疫学
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