Abstract
Lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTβR) axis plays a crucial role in development and compartmentalization of peripheral lymphatic organs. But, it is also required for the appropriate function and maintenance of structural integrity of the thymus: in LTβR-deficient animals the clonal deletion of autoreactive lymphocytes is impaired and differentiation of thymic medullary epithelial cells is disturbed. In this study, using several markers, we showed that thymic metallophilic macrophages were lacking in LTβR-deficient mice. In tumor necrosis factor receptor-I (p55)-deficient mice (which we used as positive control) thymic metallophilic cells were located, similarly as in normal mice, in the thymic cortico-medullary zone at the junction of cortex and medulla. These findings show that LTβR is necessary for maintenance of metallophilic macrophages in the thymus and provide further evidence that these cells may represent a factor involved in thymic negative selection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Histochemistry and Cell Biology |
| Volume | 126 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Pages (from-to) | 687-693 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 0948-6143 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12.2006 |
Funding
Acknowledgments Thanks are due to Lidija Gutjahr for technical assistance. This work was supported by Deutsche Fors-chungsgemeinschaft (We 1175/4-3) and the grant of the Ministry for Science and Protection of Natural Environment of Republic of Serbia (no. 145016). Novica M. Milićević was a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, Bonn, Germany.
Research Areas and Centers
- Academic Focus: Center for Infection and Inflammation Research (ZIEL)
