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Intrathymic T-cell development is critically dependent on cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Both epithelial subsets originate during early thymus organogenesis from progenitor cells that express the thymoproteasome subunit β5t, a typical feature of cortical TECs. Using in vivo lineage fate mapping, we demonstrate in mice that β5t(+) TEC progenitors give rise to the medullary TEC compartment early in life but significantly limit their contribution once the medulla has completely formed. Lineage-tracing studies at single cell resolution demonstrate for young mice that the postnatal medulla is expanded from individual β5t(+) cortical progenitors located at the cortico-medullary junction. These results therefore not only define a developmental window during which the expansion of medulla is efficiently enabled by progenitors resident in the thymic cortex, but also reveal the spatio-temporal dynamics that control the growth of the thymic medulla.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/eji.201545995

Type

Journal article

Journal

Eur J Immunol

Publication Date

04/2016

Volume

46

Pages

846 - 856

Keywords

Development, Epithelial cell, Medulla, Thymic progenitor cell, β5t, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cell Lineage, Cell Proliferation, Doxycycline, Epithelial Cells, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Organogenesis, Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex, Stem Cells, T-Lymphocytes, Thymus Gland