In vitro intrathymic differentiation kinetics of human fetal liver CD34+CD38- progenitors reveals a phenotypically defined dendritic/T-NK precursor split

J Immunol. 1999 Jan 1;162(1):60-8.

Abstract

Human CD34+CD38- hematopoietic precursor cells from fetal liver are able to develop into T, NK, and dendritic cells in a hybrid human/mouse fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC). In this report, we pay particular attention to the early events in differentiation of these precursor cells. We show that the CD34+CD38- precursor cells, which are CD4-CD7-cyCD3-HLA-DR-/++ (cy, cytoplasmatic), differentiate into a CD4+ population that remained CD7-cyCD3-HLA-DR++ and a CD4- population that expressed CD7 and cyCD3. The CD4+CD7-cyCD3- cells differentiate into phenotypically and functionally mature dendritic cells, but do not differentiate into T or NK cells. The CD4-CD7+cyCD3+ population later differentiates into a CD4+CD7+cyCD3+HLA-DR- population, which has no potential to differentiate into dendritic cells but is able to differentiate into NK cells and gammadelta and alphabeta T lymphocytes. These findings support the notion that the T/NK split occurs downstream of the NK/dendritic split.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase
  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD*
  • Antigens, CD34 / analysis
  • Antigens, Differentiation / analysis
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Fetus / cytology
  • Fetus / immunology*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Killer Cells, Natural / cytology*
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Kinetics
  • Liver / cytology
  • Liver / embryology
  • Liver / immunology*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • NAD+ Nucleosidase / analysis
  • Organ Culture Techniques
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / genetics
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Thymus Gland / cytology*
  • Thymus Gland / immunology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, CD34
  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • RAG-1 protein
  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase
  • CD38 protein, human
  • Cd38 protein, mouse
  • NAD+ Nucleosidase
  • ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1