Phenotypic characterization of early events of thymus repopulation in radiation bone marrow chimeras

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Transplantation; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00007890-198304000-00019· OSTI ID:5762338

Sharrow, S O; Singer, A; Hammerling, U; Mathieson, B J

The phenotype of murine thymocytes repopulating the thymus of radiation bone marrow chimeras shortly after irradiation and bone marrow reconstitution was analyzed by immunofluorescence and flow microfluorometry. Thymuses in these chimeras, while essentially devoid of lymphoid cells at day 7, were repopulated by days 10 to 12 after irradiation. It was found that this initial repopulation arose from a radioresistant intrathymic precursor that expanded to an almost complete complement of host-type thymocytes. However, these host-derived thymocytes were unusual in that they were relatively deficient in Lyt 1+2- and peanut agglutinin ''dull'' cells as compared with normal thymocytes. Donor bone-marrow-derived cells first appeared in the irradiated chimeric thymuses between days 12 and 15 after irradiation and bone marrow transfer. By day 19, chimeric thymuses contained more than 98% donor cells. This course was identical for three chimeric combinations, each made across different genetic barriers. In contrast to the cells that populate the fetal thymus during normal ontogeny, the first donor bone-marrow-derived cells that can be detected within the irradiated chimeric thymuses already expressed phenotypically normal adult T cell subpopulations in that they contained significant numbers both of Lyt 1+2- and of Lyt 1+2+ thymocytes. Thus, the Lyt phenotype of donor cells that initially repopulate an adult thymus after irradiation is markedly different from the Lyt phenotype of cells that initially populate the fetal thymus. The differences between adult and fetal thymic development that are observed in radiation bone marrow chimeras may be important in our understanding of T cell differentiation in these animals.

• Research Organization: Laboratory of Microbial Immunity, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD
• OSTI ID: 5762338
• Journal Information: Transplantation; (United States), Journal Name: Transplantation; (United States) Vol. 35:4; ISSN TRPLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
BONE MARROW
CELL DIFFERENTIATION
CHIMERAS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
LYMPHOCYTES
MATERIALS
MOSAICISM
ORGANS
PHENOTYPE
RADIATION CHIMERAS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SOMATIC CELLS
THYMOCYTES
THYMUS
TISSUES
TRANSPLANTS