Fibroblastic reticular cells guide T lymphocyte entry into and migration within the splenic T cell zone

M Bajénoff, N Glaichenhaus… - The Journal of …, 2008 - journals.aai.org
M Bajénoff, N Glaichenhaus, RN Germain
The Journal of Immunology, 2008journals.aai.org
Although a great deal is known about T cell entry into lymph nodes, much less is understood
about how T lymphocytes access the splenic white pulp (WP). We show in this study that, as
recently described for lymph nodes, fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) form a network in the T
cell zone (periarteriolar lymphoid sheath, PALS) of the WP on which T lymphocytes migrate.
This network connects the PALS to the marginal zone (MZ), which is the initial site of
lymphocyte entry from the blood. T cells do not enter the WP at random locations but instead …
Abstract
Although a great deal is known about T cell entry into lymph nodes, much less is understood about how T lymphocytes access the splenic white pulp (WP). We show in this study that, as recently described for lymph nodes, fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) form a network in the T cell zone (periarteriolar lymphoid sheath, PALS) of the WP on which T lymphocytes migrate. This network connects the PALS to the marginal zone (MZ), which is the initial site of lymphocyte entry from the blood. T cells do not enter the WP at random locations but instead traffic to that site using the FRC-rich MZ bridging channels (MZBCs). These data reveal that FRCs form a substrate for T cells in the spleen, guiding these lymphocytes from their site of entry in the MZ into the PALS, within which they continue to move on the same network.
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