Molecular basis for functional maturation of thymocytes: increase in c-fos translation with positive selection

In the process of positive selection, immature CD4+8+ double positive (DP) thymocytes expressing TCR reactive to self-MHC by appropriate avidity develop into mature thymocytes. Positive selection involves not only down-regulation of either CD4 or CD8 but also acquisition of immunocompetent potential such as cell proliferation and cytokine production. To understand the molecular basis for such functional maturation during the positive selection process, we examined whether nonselected DP, selected DP, and CD4+8- single positive thymocytes possess the activation potential for signaling pathways from mitogen-activated protein kinases (extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase) to AP-1. In response to stimulation, a marked induction of c-Fos protein expression as well as cell proliferation is detected only in CD4+8- single positive cells but not in selected and nonselected DP cells, though mitogen-activated protein kinase activities and c-fos transcripts are equally induced. In the presence of proteasome inhibitors, c-Fos protein became detectable in selected DP cells but still not in nonselected DP cells, suggesting that DP cells receiving positive selection signals acquire the capacity to translate the c-fos gene, but it may not be sufficiently high to overcome the degradation of c-Fos protein. These data indicate that the translating ability of the c-fos gene is up-regulated in the thymic positive selection process, from nonselected DP to CD4+8- single positive cells through positively selected DP cells. The distinguished responsiveness to stimulation in thymocytes with and without positive selection may be a result in part of the distinct regulation of the c-fos gene at the translational level.