Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus

Svetlana Ulyanchenko; Kathy E O'Neill; Tanya Medley; Alison M Farley; Harsh J Vaidya; Alistair M Cook; Natalie F Blair; C Clare Blackburn

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080

Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus

Svetlana Ulyanchenko, Kathy E O'Neill, Tanya Medley, Alison M Farley, Harsh J Vaidya, Alistair M Cook, Natalie F Blair, C Clare Blackburn

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critically required for T cell development, but the cellular mechanisms that maintain adult TECs are poorly understood. Here, we show that a previously unidentified subpopulation, EpCam⁺UEA1^-Ly-51⁺PLET1⁺MHC class II^hi, which comprises <0.5% of adult TECs, contains bipotent TEC progenitors that can efficiently generate both cortical (c) TECs and medullary (m) TECs. No other adult TEC population tested in this study contains this activity. We demonstrate persistence of PLET1⁺Ly-51⁺ TEC-derived cells for 9 months in vivo, suggesting the presence of thymic epithelial stem cells. Additionally, we identify cTEC-restricted short-term progenitor activity but fail to detect high efficiency mTEC-restricted progenitors in the adult thymus. Our data provide a phenotypically defined adult thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell that is able to generate both cTECs and mTECs, opening avenues for improving thymus function in patients.

Original language	English
Journal	Cell Reports
Volume	14
Issue number	12
Pages (from-to)	2819-32
Number of pages	14
ISSN	2211-1247
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080
Publication status	Published - 29 Mar 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Animals
Female
Flow Cytometry
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Immunophenotyping
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Inbred CBA
Phenotype
Pregnancy Proteins/metabolism
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Stem Cells/cytology
Thymus Gland/cytology
Transcriptome

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title = "Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus",

abstract = "Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critically required for T cell development, but the cellular mechanisms that maintain adult TECs are poorly understood. Here, we show that a previously unidentified subpopulation, EpCam+UEA1-Ly-51+PLET1+MHC class IIhi, which comprises <0.5% of adult TECs, contains bipotent TEC progenitors that can efficiently generate both cortical (c) TECs and medullary (m) TECs. No other adult TEC population tested in this study contains this activity. We demonstrate persistence of PLET1+Ly-51+ TEC-derived cells for 9 months in vivo, suggesting the presence of thymic epithelial stem cells. Additionally, we identify cTEC-restricted short-term progenitor activity but fail to detect high efficiency mTEC-restricted progenitors in the adult thymus. Our data provide a phenotypically defined adult thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell that is able to generate both cTECs and mTECs, opening avenues for improving thymus function in patients.",

keywords = "Animals, Female, Flow Cytometry, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Immunophenotyping, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Inbred CBA, Phenotype, Pregnancy Proteins/metabolism, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Stem Cells/cytology, Thymus Gland/cytology, Transcriptome",

author = "Svetlana Ulyanchenko and O'Neill, {Kathy E} and Tanya Medley and Farley, {Alison M} and Vaidya, {Harsh J} and Cook, {Alistair M} and Blair, {Natalie F} and Blackburn, {C Clare}",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

pages = "2819--32",

journal = "Cell Reports",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus

AU - Ulyanchenko, Svetlana

AU - O'Neill, Kathy E

AU - Medley, Tanya

AU - Farley, Alison M

AU - Vaidya, Harsh J

AU - Cook, Alistair M

AU - Blair, Natalie F

AU - Blackburn, C Clare

PY - 2016/3/29

Y1 - 2016/3/29

N2 - Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critically required for T cell development, but the cellular mechanisms that maintain adult TECs are poorly understood. Here, we show that a previously unidentified subpopulation, EpCam+UEA1-Ly-51+PLET1+MHC class IIhi, which comprises <0.5% of adult TECs, contains bipotent TEC progenitors that can efficiently generate both cortical (c) TECs and medullary (m) TECs. No other adult TEC population tested in this study contains this activity. We demonstrate persistence of PLET1+Ly-51+ TEC-derived cells for 9 months in vivo, suggesting the presence of thymic epithelial stem cells. Additionally, we identify cTEC-restricted short-term progenitor activity but fail to detect high efficiency mTEC-restricted progenitors in the adult thymus. Our data provide a phenotypically defined adult thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell that is able to generate both cTECs and mTECs, opening avenues for improving thymus function in patients.

AB - Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are critically required for T cell development, but the cellular mechanisms that maintain adult TECs are poorly understood. Here, we show that a previously unidentified subpopulation, EpCam+UEA1-Ly-51+PLET1+MHC class IIhi, which comprises <0.5% of adult TECs, contains bipotent TEC progenitors that can efficiently generate both cortical (c) TECs and medullary (m) TECs. No other adult TEC population tested in this study contains this activity. We demonstrate persistence of PLET1+Ly-51+ TEC-derived cells for 9 months in vivo, suggesting the presence of thymic epithelial stem cells. Additionally, we identify cTEC-restricted short-term progenitor activity but fail to detect high efficiency mTEC-restricted progenitors in the adult thymus. Our data provide a phenotypically defined adult thymic epithelial progenitor/stem cell that is able to generate both cTECs and mTECs, opening avenues for improving thymus function in patients.

KW - Animals

KW - Female

KW - Flow Cytometry

KW - Humans

KW - Immunohistochemistry

KW - Immunophenotyping

KW - Male

KW - Mice

KW - Mice, Inbred C57BL

KW - Mice, Inbred CBA

KW - Phenotype

KW - Pregnancy Proteins/metabolism

KW - Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

KW - Stem Cells/cytology

KW - Thymus Gland/cytology

KW - Transcriptome

U2 - 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080

DO - 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.080

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26997270

SN - 2211-1247

VL - 14

SP - 2819

EP - 2832

JO - Cell Reports

JF - Cell Reports

IS - 12

ER -

Identification of a Bipotent Epithelial Progenitor Population in the Adult Thymus

Abstract

Keywords

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