Mouse thymus dendritic cells: kinetics of development and changes in surface markers during maturation

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Abstract
The early thymus precursor population of adult mice has the capacity to generate T cells, B cells and dendritic cells (DC). These precursors were injected into the thymus of irradiated recipients in order to follow the kinetics of thymic DC development. The resultant cohort of T‐lineage cells developing in the thymus was accompanied by a parallel cohort of DC, present at 103‐fold lower frequency. The intrathymic lifespan of these DC was as short as that of T‐lineage thymocytes. As the thymic DC matured, some markers characteristic of the original precursor population gradually declined (Ly‐5, c‐kit, Sca‐2) whereas markers characteristic of thymic DC appeared and were maintained (major histocompatibility complex class II, CD11c, NLDC‐145 and CD8α). Some thymic DC expressed the early B‐cell marker BP‐1, and BP‐1 mRNA, throughout their maturation. The surface markers on thymic DC could be divided into two groups. Some markers, including class I and class II MHC, CD8α and BP‐1, appeared to be integral components of the DC surface. In contrast, other markers, including Thy‐1, CD4 and CD8β, had probably been picked up from associated thymocytes.