Abstract
We recently identified a fetal thymic developmental stage (NK1.1 +/CD117 lo) that characterizes committed T/NK progenitors. We now report the existence of phenotypically and functionally identical T/NK progenitors in mouse fetal blood and spleen but not in fetal liver. These precursors are indistinguishable from previously characterized fetal blood “prothymocytes” (CD90 +/CD117 lo), with the exception that they express NK1.1, lack markers associated with T lineage commitment, maintain a germline TCRβ locus, and can give rise to both T and NK cells. Moreover, NK1.1 +/CD90 +/CD117 lo fetal blood precursors are present in athymic nude mice. These results suggest that the T/NK lineage commitment pathway is thymus-independent. In contrast, full commitment to the αβ T lineage does not precede thymus colonization.
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