Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Generation of Lymph Node-fat Pad Chimeras for the Study of Lymph Node Stromal Cell Origin
Published on: December 16, 2013
The IL-7 signaling pathway regulates lymph node development independent of peripheral lymphocytes
Stéphane Chappaz1, Daniela Finke
1Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. stephane.chappaz@unibas.ch
Abstract:
Lymph node (LN) organogenesis is initiated by the interaction between hematopoietic lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells and the mesenchymal organizer cells. Mice in which the IL-7 signaling pathway has been disrupted have a severe defect in LN development; however, the reasons underlying this defect are as yet unknown. In this study, we show that the overexpression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) increased LTi cell numbers and restored LN development in IL-7(-/-) and RAG2(-/-) gamma(c)(-/-) mice. The TSLP-mediated LN restoration was strictly dependent on LTi cells and independent of lymphocyte colonization. Increased LTi cell numbers in the LN anlagen of RAG2(-/-) gamma(c)(-/-) TSLP transgenic mice were associated with the restoration of organizer cells, suggesting that LTi cell number is a critical parameter for LN organogenesis. Our results shed light on the minimal cellular requirement for LN development during ontogeny. We show that the presence of LTi and organizer cells, but not of peripheral lymphocytes, is critical for LN development and persistence and further suggest that the IL-7 signaling pathway regulates LN organogenesis by controlling the size of the LTi cell pool.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Development of the Lymphatic System
The first lymph sacs to form are the paired jugular lymph sacs located at the junction of the internal jugular and subclavian veins. From these sacs, lymphatic capillary plexuses extend to the thorax, upper limbs, neck, and head, eventually forming lymphatic vessels. Each jugular lymph sac maintains a...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Detailed Structure and Function of Lymph Nodes
From a histological perspective, lymph nodes can be split into two main areas: the superficial cortex and the deep medulla. The outer cortex is populated by dendritic cells, macrophages, and B lymphocytes, which are densely packed into follicles. When these B-lymphocytes are presented...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

