In vitro co-culture systems for studying molecular basis of cellular interaction between Aire-expressing medullary thymic epithelial cells and fresh thymocytes.

ABSTRACT: We previously established three mouse cell lines (Aire(+)TEC1, Aire(+)TEC2 and Aire(+)DC) from the medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and dendritic cells (mDCs). These cells constitutively expressed "autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene" and they exhibited various features of self antigen-presenting cells (self-APCs) present in the thymic medullary region. Here, we confirmed our previous observation that Aire(+) thymic epithelial cells adhere to fresh thymocytes and kill them by inducing apoptosis, thus potentially reproducing in vitro some aspects of the negative selection of T cells in vivo. In this system, a single Aire(+) cell appeared able to kill ∼30 thymocytes within 24 hrs. Moreover, we observed that ectopic expression of peripheral tissue-specific antigens (TSAs), and expressio

SUBMITTER: Yamaguchi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4232765 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature