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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Retroviral Transduction of T-cell Receptors in Mouse T-cells
Published on: October 23, 2010
RasGRP is essential for mouse thymocyte differentiation and TCR signaling
N A Dower1, S L Stang, D A Bottorff
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H7.
Abstract:
The Ras signaling pathway plays a critical role in thymopoiesis and T cell activation, but the mechanism of Ras regulation is controversial. At least one mode of Ras regulation in T cells involves the messenger diacylglycerol (DAG). RasGRP, a Ras activator with a DAG-binding C1 domain, is expressed in T cells and thymocytes. Here we show that thymi of RasGRP-null mutant mice have approximately normal numbers of immature thymocytes but a marked deficiency of mature, single-positive (CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+) thymocytes. In Ras signaling and proliferation assays, mutant thymocytes showed a complete lack of response to DAG analogs or T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation by antibodies. Thus, TCR and DAG are linked through RasGRP to Ras signaling.
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