Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

CD4 expressed on earliest T-lineage precursor cells in the adult murine thymus

Nature volume 349, pages 71–74 (1991)Cite this article

Abstract

A CONTINUOUS but low input of stem cells or 'prothymocytes' is necessary to maintain T-cell development in the adult thymus1, but the colonizing cell has not been characterized. Precursors of T cells have been found in the minor CD4−8−population2 of thymocytes, but even the earliest cells of this population already have partially rearranged T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) genes3. We now demonstrate that the thymus contains a minute population of lymphoid cells similar in some but not all respects to bone marrow-derived haemopoietic stem cells. This population has TCR genes in a germline state. It gives a slow but extensive reconstitution of both αβ and γδ lineages on transfer into an irradiated thymus, with kinetics indicating that it includes the earliest intrathymic precursor cells so far isolated. Surprisingly, these cells express low surface levels of the mature T-cell marker CD4.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Scollay, R., Smith, J. & Stauffer, V. Immunol. Rev. 91, 129–157 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Fowlkes, B. J., Edison, L., Mathieson, B. J. & Chused, T. M. J. exp. Med. 162, 802–822 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pearse, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 1614–1618 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Scollay, R. et al. Immunol. Rev. 104, 81–120 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Crispe, I. N. et al. Nature 329, 336–339 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Trowbridge, I., Lesley, J., Schulte, R., Hyman, R. & Trotter, J. Immunogenetics 15, 299–312 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hyman, R., Lesley, J., Schulte, R. & Trotter, J. Cell Immun. 101, 320–327 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lesley, J., Hyman, R. & Schulte, R. Cell Immun. 91, 397–403 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Spangrude, G. J., Heimfeld, S. & Weissman, I. L. Science 241, 58–62 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Spangrude, G. J. & Scollay, R. Expl Hematol. 18, 920–926 (1990).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yagita, H. et al. Eur. J. Immun. 19, 2211–2217 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Quin, S., Cobbold, S., Tighe, H., Benjamin, R. & Waldmann, H. Eur. J. Immun. 17, 1159–1165 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pearse, M. & Wu, L. Immun. Lett. 18, 219–224 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Spangrude, G. J. & Scollay, R. J. Immun. (in the press).

  15. Shortman, K., Egerton, M., Spangrude, G. J. & Scollay, R. in Seminars in Immunology Vol. 2 (ed. Sprent, J.) 3–12 (Saunders, London, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fredrickson, G. G. & Basch, R. S. J. exp. Med. 169, 1473–1478 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Dalgleish, A. G. et al. Nature 312, 763–767 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Gallatin, W. M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 3301–3305 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gottleib, P. et al. Immunogenetics 10, 545–555 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Miescher, G. C., Schreyer, M. & MacDonald, H. R. Immun. Lett. 23, 113–118 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Malek, T., Robb, R. & Shevach, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 80, 5694–5698 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wilson, A., D'Amico, A., Ewing, T., Scollay, R. & Shortman, K. J. Immun. 140, 1461–1469 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ledbetter, J. A. & Herzenberg, L. A. Immunol. Rev. 47, 63–90 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Tomonari, K. Immunogenetics 28, 455–458 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ceredig, R., Lowenthal, J., Nabholz, M. & MacDonald, R. Nature 314, 98–100 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Yagita, H., Nakamura, T., Karasuyama, H. & Okumura, K. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 645–649 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Springer, T., Galfré, G., Secher, D. S. & Milstein, C. Eur. J. Immun. 9, 301–306 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Holmes, K. L. et al. J. Immun. 137, 679–688 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Coffman, R. L. Immunol. Rev. 69, 5–23 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Köhler, G., Fischer Lindahl, K. & Heusser, C. in The Immune System 2, 202–208 (Karger, Basel, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Mark Egerton

    Present address: Cell Biology & Metabolism Branch, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

  2. Martin Pearse

    Present address: Department of Clinical Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, 3065, Australia

  3. Gerald J. Spangrude

    Present address: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, Montana, 59840, USA

  4. Ken Shortman: To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Australia

    Li Wu, Roland Scollay, Mark Egerton, Martin Pearse, Gerald J. Spangrude & Ken Shortman

Authors
  1. Li Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roland Scollay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark Egerton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Martin Pearse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gerald J. Spangrude
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ken Shortman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, L., Scollay, R., Egerton, M. et al. CD4 expressed on earliest T-lineage precursor cells in the adult murine thymus. Nature 349, 71–74 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/349071a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/349071a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing