Gli3 in fetal thymic epithelial cells promotes thymocyte positive selection and differentiation by repression of <i>Shh</i>.

ABSTRACT: Gli3 is a Hedgehog (Hh)-responsive transcription factor that can function as a transcriptional repressor or activator. We show that Gli3 activity in mouse thymic epithelial cells (TECs) promotes positive selection and differentiation from CD4⁺ CD8⁺ to CD4⁺ CD8^- single-positive (SP4) cells in the fetal thymus and that Gli3 represses Shh Constitutive deletion of Gli3, and conditional deletion of Gli3 from TECs, reduced differentiation to SP4, whereas conditional deletion of Gli3 from thymocytes did not. Conditional deletion of Shh from TECs increased differentiation to SP4, and expression of Shh was upregulated in the Gli3-deficient thymus. Use of a transgenic Hh reporter showed that the Hh pathway was active in t

SUBMITTER: Solanki A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5817998 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature