The conveyor belt hypothesis for thymocyte migration: participation of adhesion and de-adhesion molecules
Braz. j. med. biol. res
; 32(5): 569-72, May 1999.
Article
em En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-233475
Biblioteca responsável:
BR1.1
RESUMO
Thymocyte differentiation is the process by which bone marrow-derived precursors enter the thymus, proliferate, rearrange the genes and express the corresponding T cell receptors, and undergo positive and/or negative selection, ultimately yielding mature T cells that will represent the so-called T cell repertoire. This process occurs in the context of cell migration, whose cellular and molecular basis is still poorly understood. Kinetic studies favor the idea that these cells leave the organ in an ordered pattern, as if they were moving on a conveyor belt. We have recently proposed that extracellular matrix glycoproteins, such as fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen, among others, produced by non-lymphoid cells both in the cortex and in the medulla, would constitute a macromolecular arrangement allowing differentiating thymocytes to migrate. Here we discuss the participation of both molecules with adhesive and de-adhesive properties in the intrathymic T cell migration. Functional experiments demonstrated that galectin-3, a soluble ß-galactoside-binding lectin secreted by thymic microenvironmental cells, is a likely candidate for de-adhesion proteins by decreasing thymocyte interaction with the thymic microenvironment
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Temas:
Geral
Base de dados:
LILACS
Assunto principal:
Timo
/
Moléculas de Adesão Celular
/
Movimento Celular
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Braz. j. med. biol. res
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
MEDICINA
Ano de publicação:
1999
Tipo de documento:
Article
/
Congress and conference