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Mesenchymal Cells Regulate Retinoic Acid Receptor-Dependent Cortical Thymic Epithelial Cell Homeostasis.

Sitnik, Katarzyna M ; Kotarsky, Knut LU ; White, Andrea J ; Jenkinson, William E ; Anderson, Graham and Agace, William LU (2012) In Journal of immunology 188(10). p.4801-4809
Abstract
The vitamin A metabolite and transcriptional modulator retinoic acid (RA) is recognized as an important regulator of epithelial cell homeostasis in several tissues. Despite the known importance of the epithelial compartment of the thymus in T cell development and selection, the potential role of RA in the regulation of thymic cortical and medullary epithelial cell homeostasis has yet to be addressed. In this study, using fetal thymus organ cultures, we demonstrate that endogenous RA signaling promotes thymic epithelial cell (TEC) cell-cycle exit and restricts TEC cellularity preferentially in the cortical TEC compartment. Combined gene expression, biochemical, and functional analyses identified mesenchymal cells as the major source of RA... (More)
The vitamin A metabolite and transcriptional modulator retinoic acid (RA) is recognized as an important regulator of epithelial cell homeostasis in several tissues. Despite the known importance of the epithelial compartment of the thymus in T cell development and selection, the potential role of RA in the regulation of thymic cortical and medullary epithelial cell homeostasis has yet to be addressed. In this study, using fetal thymus organ cultures, we demonstrate that endogenous RA signaling promotes thymic epithelial cell (TEC) cell-cycle exit and restricts TEC cellularity preferentially in the cortical TEC compartment. Combined gene expression, biochemical, and functional analyses identified mesenchymal cells as the major source of RA in the embryonic thymus. In reaggregate culture experiments, thymic mesenchyme was required for RA-dependent regulation of TEC expansion, highlighting the importance of mesenchyme-derived RA in modulating TEC turnover. The RA-generating potential of mesenchymal cells was selectively maintained within a discrete Ly51(int)gp38(+) subset of Ly51(+) mesenchyme in the adult thymus, suggesting a continual role for mesenchymal cell-derived RA in postnatal TEC homeostasis. These findings identify RA signaling as a novel mechanism by which thymic mesenchyme influences TEC development. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of immunology
volume
188
issue
10
pages
4801 - 4809
publisher
American Association of Immunologists
external identifiers
  • wos:000303634300012
  • pmid:22504647
  • scopus:84861142913
ISSN
1550-6606
DOI
10.4049/jimmunol.1200358
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
832e5cec-1079-4991-8237-65aa76024545 (old id 2519382)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22504647?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:28:19
date last changed
2022-04-23 20:45:12
@article{832e5cec-1079-4991-8237-65aa76024545,
  abstract     = {{The vitamin A metabolite and transcriptional modulator retinoic acid (RA) is recognized as an important regulator of epithelial cell homeostasis in several tissues. Despite the known importance of the epithelial compartment of the thymus in T cell development and selection, the potential role of RA in the regulation of thymic cortical and medullary epithelial cell homeostasis has yet to be addressed. In this study, using fetal thymus organ cultures, we demonstrate that endogenous RA signaling promotes thymic epithelial cell (TEC) cell-cycle exit and restricts TEC cellularity preferentially in the cortical TEC compartment. Combined gene expression, biochemical, and functional analyses identified mesenchymal cells as the major source of RA in the embryonic thymus. In reaggregate culture experiments, thymic mesenchyme was required for RA-dependent regulation of TEC expansion, highlighting the importance of mesenchyme-derived RA in modulating TEC turnover. The RA-generating potential of mesenchymal cells was selectively maintained within a discrete Ly51(int)gp38(+) subset of Ly51(+) mesenchyme in the adult thymus, suggesting a continual role for mesenchymal cell-derived RA in postnatal TEC homeostasis. These findings identify RA signaling as a novel mechanism by which thymic mesenchyme influences TEC development.}},
  author       = {{Sitnik, Katarzyna M and Kotarsky, Knut and White, Andrea J and Jenkinson, William E and Anderson, Graham and Agace, William}},
  issn         = {{1550-6606}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{4801--4809}},
  publisher    = {{American Association of Immunologists}},
  series       = {{Journal of immunology}},
  title        = {{Mesenchymal Cells Regulate Retinoic Acid Receptor-Dependent Cortical Thymic Epithelial Cell Homeostasis.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1200358}},
  doi          = {{10.4049/jimmunol.1200358}},
  volume       = {{188}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}