Maturation of CD4−8−α/β TCR+T cells induced by CD2-stimulation in vivo and in vitro
- 1 July 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in International Immunology
- Vol. 4 (7) , 825-829
- https://doi.org/10.1093/intimm/4.7.825
Abstract
Newly generated (‘virgin’) rat thymocytes of the immature CD4+8+ double positive (DP) subset were treated in suspension culture for 2 days with the stimulatory pair of anti-CD2 monoclonal antibodies OX-54 and OX-55. Approximately 50% of the recovered cells had downregulated CD4 and CD8 and upregulated the T cell antigen receptor (TCR). CD2-stimulated, but not control thymocytes proliferated in response to TCR plus IL-2 stimulation. in vivo, postnatal injection of OX-54/55 led to a dramatic and selective Increase In functionally mature CD4−CD8− double negative (DN) α/β-TCRhigh thymocytes and peripheral T cells. These findings show that CD2 stimulation can promote T cell differentiation and suggest that DN TORhigh thymocytes can be generated from DP thymocytes via alternative pathways of T cell maturation.Keywords
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