Bcl11b is required for differentiation and survival of αβ T lymphocytes

Y Wakabayashi, H Watanabe, J Inoue, N Takeda… - Nature …, 2003 - nature.com
Y Wakabayashi, H Watanabe, J Inoue, N Takeda, J Sakata, Y Mishima, J Hitomi…
Nature immunology, 2003nature.com
The gene Bcl11b, which encodes zinc finger proteins, and its paralog, Bcl11a, are
associated with immune-system malignancies. We have generated Bcl11b-deficient mice
that show a block at the CD4− CD8− double-negative stage of thymocyte development
without any impairment in cells of B-or γδ T cell lineages. The Bcl11b−/− thymocytes showed
unsuccessful recombination of Vβ to Dβ and lacked the pre–T cell receptor (TCR) complex
on the cell surface, owing to the absence of Tcrb mRNA expression. In addition, we saw …
Abstract
The gene Bcl11b, which encodes zinc finger proteins, and its paralog, Bcl11a, are associated with immune-system malignancies. We have generated Bcl11b-deficient mice that show a block at the CD4CD8 double-negative stage of thymocyte development without any impairment in cells of B- or γδ T cell lineages. The Bcl11b−/− thymocytes showed unsuccessful recombination of Vβ to Dβ and lacked the pre–T cell receptor (TCR) complex on the cell surface, owing to the absence of Tcrb mRNA expression. In addition, we saw profound apoptosis in the thymus of neonatal Bcl11b−/− mice. These results suggest that Bcl11b is a key regulator of both differentiation and survival during thymocyte development.
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