Takeshi Nitta

Immature double-positive thymocytes are generated in the thymic cortex, and on positive selection, are induced to differentiate into mature single-positive thymocytes and relocate to the medulla. CCR7 is pivotal for cortex-to-medulla migration of positively selected thymocytes, and CCR7-mediated migration to the medulla is essential for establishing central tolerance, thereby, preventing tissue-specific autoimmunity. However, it was unclear how CCR7-mediated migration to the medulla affects the

The IAN (immune-associated nucleotide-binding protein) family is a family of functionally uncharacterized GTP-binding proteins expressed in vertebrate immune cells and in plant cells during antibacterial responses. Here we show that all eight IAN family genes encoded in a single cluster of mouse genome are predominantly expressed in lymphocytes, and that the expression of IAN1, IAN4, and IAN5 is significantly elevated upon thymic selection of T lymphocytes. Gain-of-function experiments show that

Elevation of active sigma(E) levels in Escherichia coli by either repressing the expression of rseA encoding an anti-sigma(E) factor or cloning rpoE in a multicopy plasmid, led to a large decrease in the number of dead cells and the accumulation of cellular proteins in the medium in the stationary phase. The numbers of CFU, however, were nearly the same as those of the wild type or cells devoid of the cloned gene. In the wild-type cells, rpoE expression was increased in the stationary phase and

γδT cells produce inflammatory cytokines and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmunity. The T cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction that specifically regulates the development of IL-17-producing γδT (γδT17) cells largely remains unclear. Here, we showed that the receptor proximal tyrosine kinase Syk is essential for γδTCR signal transduction and development of γδT17 in the mouse thymus. Zap70, another tyrosine kinase essential for the development

The stromal microenvironment in the thymus is essential for generating a functional T cell repertoire. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are numerically and phenotypically one of the most prominent stromal cell types in the thymus, and have been recognized as one of most unusual cell types in the body by virtue of their unique functions in the course of the positive and negative selection of developing T cells. In addition to TECs, there are other stromal cell types of mesenchymal origin, such as f

Fibroblasts have recently attracted attention as a key stromal component that controls the immune responses in lymphoid tissues. The thymus has a unique microenvironment comprised of a variety of stromal cells, including fibroblasts and thymic epithelial cells (TECs), the latter of which is known to be important for T cell development because of their ability to express self-antigens. Thymic fibroblasts contribute to thymus organogenesis during embryogenesis and form the capsule and medullary re