Abstract
T cells develop from prothymocytes which express no detectable antigen receptors to immature thymocytes with few receptors, eventually becoming mature thymocytes and peripheral T cells with 20,000–40,000 receptors per cell1. Recent studies2–8 suggest that immature thymoctyes are immunologically unresponsive. We have suggested2,3 that an early step in signal transduction following engagement of the T cell receptor might differ in immature and mature T cells. Here we examine anti-receptor antibody mediated induction of calcium mobilization in immature and mature T cells. Results indicate that antigen receptors on both immature and mature receptor-positive T cells transduce signals via calcium mobilization. Significant differences were observed, however, between these populations in the magnitude of influx of extracellular Ca2+ following binding of antireceptor antibody. Specifically immature cells show a much reduced Ca2+ influx response compared to mature cells which could result from a low Ca2+ channel9 frequency in the plasma membranes of immature T cells, or from less efficient activation of existing channels.
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References
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Finkel, T., McDuffie, M., Kappler, J. et al. Both immature and mature T cells mobilize Ca2+ in response to antigen receptor crosslinking. Nature 330, 179–181 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330179a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/330179a0
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