研究人員鑒別出為新生免疫細胞提供基本生存因子的細胞,，新成果于9月在線發(fā)表在《自然—免疫學》期刊上。
一種名為T淋巴細胞的血細胞是在胸腺中出生的,，它們能反擊侵入身體的病毒和其他感染性病菌,。在離開胸腺后，這些細胞在身體中巡游以尋找潛在的外來侵略者,。然而,，這些T細胞的生存卻依賴于周期性對淋巴結(jié)的造訪，它們在這里被名為白細胞介素7的化學信號所“充電”,。
多年來,，科學家們早已知道白細胞介素7為新生的T細胞提供了生存信號，但他們一直不清楚白細胞介素7究竟是怎樣產(chǎn)生的,。
Sanjiv Luther和同事在淋巴結(jié)和脾臟中鑒別出一種特定的“纖維網(wǎng)狀細胞”,，發(fā)現(xiàn)它們是白細胞介素7的來源。這些細胞所產(chǎn)生的化學信號能引導T細胞走向它們,，并提供阻止T細胞死亡的白細胞介素7,，從而讓T細胞能夠在身體中巡回，檢查入侵的敵人,。（科學時報）
原始出處:
Nature Immunology 8, 1255 - 1265 (2007)
Published online: 23 September 2007 | doi:10.1038/ni1513
Fibroblastic reticular cells in lymph nodes regulate the homeostasis of naive T cells
Alexander Link1,4, Tobias K Vogt1,4, Stéphanie Favre1, Mirjam R Britschgi1, Hans Acha-Orbea1, Boris Hinz2, Jason G Cyster3 & Sanjiv A Luther1
Interleukin 7 is essential for the survival of naive T lymphocytes. Despite its importance, its cellular source in the periphery remains poorly defined. Here we report a critical function for lymph node access in T cell homeostasis and identify T zone fibroblastic reticular cells in these organs as the main source of interleukin 7. In vitro, T zone fibroblastic reticular cells were able to prevent the death of naive T lymphocytes but not of B lymphocytes by secreting interleukin 7 and the CCR7 ligand CCL19. Using gene-targeted mice, we demonstrate a nonredundant function for CCL19 in T cell homeostasis. Our data suggest that lymph nodes and T zone fibroblastic reticular cells have a key function in naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell homeostasis by providing a limited reservoir of survival factors.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-0414, USA.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Sanjiv A Luther1 e-mail: [email protected]
