Abstract
The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ supporting the development of self-tolerant T cells. Key events in T-cell development in the thymus include lineage commitment, selection events, and thymic emigration. This review discusses the proposed role of sphingosine-1-phosphate and its receptors in the emigration of both conventional and unconventional T-cell subsets from the thymus, and the molecular machinery currently understood to regulate this process. Furthermore, we highlight a role for chemokines and actin-associated proteins in T-cell motility as recent data suggest that T-cell emigration is regulated by more than just a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1-dependent chemotactic axis.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Cell Movement / immunology
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Cell Movement / physiology*
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Fingolimod Hydrochloride
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Humans
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / immunology
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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Propylene Glycols / pharmacology
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Receptors, Lysosphingolipid / agonists
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Receptors, Lysosphingolipid / immunology
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Receptors, Lysosphingolipid / metabolism*
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Sphingosine / analogs & derivatives
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Sphingosine / pharmacology
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
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Thymus Gland / cytology
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Thymus Gland / immunology*
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Thymus Gland / metabolism
Substances
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Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
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Propylene Glycols
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Receptors, Lysosphingolipid
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Fingolimod Hydrochloride
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Sphingosine