The linkage between T‐cell and dendritic cell development in the mouse thymus

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Abstract
Summary: Thymic dendritic cells (DC) mediate negative selection at a relatively late stage of the T‐cell developmental pathway. We present evidence that the development of thymic DC and of T‐stage cells is linked via a common precursor at an early stage of thymocyte development. T‐lineage precursor populations from the adult mouse thymus, prior lo T‐cell receptor gene rearrangement, display a capacity lo produce DC as well as T cells In the thymus, and are very efficient precursors of DC in culture. These lymphoid/DC precursors have little capacity to form myeloid cells, indicating that thymic DC are a lymphoid‐related rather than myeloid‐related lineage. In contrast to myeloid‐related DC, granulocytc‐macrophagc colony‐stimulating factor is not required for the development of these lymphoid‐related DC in vivo or in vitro. DC can develop in mutant mice lacking mattire T cells, provided the common precursors are present. However, in mutant mice lacking functional lkaros transcription factors, there are deficiencies In lymphoid precursor cells, in mature lymphoid cells and in DC.