Thymic tuft cells promote an IL-4-enriched medulla and shape thymocyte development.

ABSTRACT: The thymus is responsible for generating a diverse yet self-tolerant pool of T cells¹. Although the thymic medulla consists mostly of developing and mature AIRE⁺ epithelial cells, recent evidence has suggested that there is far greater heterogeneity among medullary thymic epithelial cells than was previously thought². Here we describe in detail an epithelial subset that is remarkably similar to peripheral tuft cells that are found at mucosal barriers³. Similar to the periphery, thymic tuft cells express the canonical taste transduction pathway and IL-25. However, they are unique in their spatial association with cornified aggregates, ability to present antigens and expression of a broad diversity of taste receptors. Some thymic tuft cells pass th

SUBMITTER: Miller CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6062473 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature