Abstract
Efficient TCR repertoire selection in the thymus is critical for immune function, ensuring the production of functional MHC-restricted and self-tolerant T cells. T cell education in the thymus involves positive and negative selection processes where apoptosis play an especially important role in eliminating useless or potentially dangerous thymocytes. For decades, positive and negative selection in T cell development has attracted the attention and considerable research has been conducted to improve our understanding of how ligand induced signaling through the T cell receptor (TCR) can lead to both: rescue from death in the case of positive selection and death in the case of negative selection. In this brief report, we review the basic concepts involved in the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, and provide an overview of the events that leads immature T cells to survive or die by apoptosis during their intrathymic development.
Highlights
Tcells or T lymphocytes play a central role in immune response
The role of IL-7, as well as its cognitive receptor (IL-7R), at the DN1-DN2 transition involves up-regulation of the antiapoptotic proteins, bcl-2 and Mcl-1(myeloid cell leukemia 1), which can act as an apical molecule in apoptosis control, promoting cell survival by interfering at an early stage in a cascade of events leading to release of cytochrome c from mitochondria [76]
The survival of developing T cells is a complex and tightly regulated process that depends on signals the cells receive from the thymic microenvironment, like cytokines, chemokines, and mainly from the T cell receptor (TCR)/pMHC interaction.By preventing the maturation of thymocytes bearing TCR with no or insufficient affinity for self-MHC molecules, the positive selection process promotes the development of T cells with self MHC-restricted TCRs
Summary
Tcells or T lymphocytes play a central role in immune response. They are generated from bone marrow-derived lymphocyte precursors that enter the thymic gland through blood vessels. The role of IL-7, as well as its cognitive receptor (IL-7R), at the DN1-DN2 transition involves up-regulation of the antiapoptotic proteins, bcl-2 and Mcl-1(myeloid cell leukemia 1), which can act as an apical molecule in apoptosis control, promoting cell survival by interfering at an early stage in a cascade of events leading to release of cytochrome c from mitochondria [76].
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