T cell lineage commitment: identity and renunciation

EV Rothenberg - The Journal of Immunology, 2011 - journals.aai.org
The Journal of Immunology, 2011journals.aai.org
Precursors undertaking T cell development shed their access to other pathways in a
sequential process that begins before entry into the thymus and continues through many cell
cycles afterward. This process involves three levels of regulatory change, in which the cells'
intrinsic transcriptional regulatory factors, expression of signaling receptors (eg, Notch1),
and expression of distinct homing receptors separately contribute to confirmation of T cell
identity. Each alternative potential has a different underlying molecular basis that is …
Abstract
Precursors undertaking T cell development shed their access to other pathways in a sequential process that begins before entry into the thymus and continues through many cell cycles afterward. This process involves three levels of regulatory change, in which the cells’ intrinsic transcriptional regulatory factors, expression of signaling receptors (eg, Notch1), and expression of distinct homing receptors separately contribute to confirmation of T cell identity. Each alternative potential has a different underlying molecular basis that is neutralized and then permanently silenced through different mechanisms in early T cell precursors. This regulatory mosaic has notable implications for the hierarchy of relationships linking T lymphocytes to other hematopoietic fates.
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