Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions

Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity (DTH), or Type IV hypersensitivity, is a cell-mediated immune response. It occurs when T cells, rather than antibodies, mediate a reaction to specific antigens. It is characterized by a delayed onset (1-2 days) and involves the recruitment of macrophages to the inflammation site.The initiation of a DTH response begins with the sensitization of T cells. During this phase, which lasts at least 1-2 weeks, antigen-specific T cells are activated, clonally expanded, and...

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...

Primary Lymphoid Organs

Primary Lymphoid Organs

Primary lymphoid organs are pivotal in the formation, development, and maturation of lymphocytes, the white blood cells that serve as the backbone of our immune system. This crucial function underscores their fundamental role in maintaining our overall health and immunity. The two primary lymphoid organs of prime importance are the red bone marrow and the thymus.
The red bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue nestled in the interior of long bones such as the humerus and femur. It is the site...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Corrigendum: Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have decreased clonal diversity in the CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell repertoire response to influenza vaccination.

Frontiers in immunology·2024

Same author

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have decreased clonal diversity in the CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell repertoire response to influenza vaccination.

Frontiers in immunology·2024

Same author

Factor XII contributes to thrombotic complications and vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease.

Blood·2023

Same author

Role of cross-reactivity in cellular immune targeting of influenza A M1<sub>58-66</sub> variant peptide epitopes.

Frontiers in immunology·2022

Same author

Delivering an mRNA vaccine using a lymphatic drug delivery device improves humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

Journal of molecular cell biology·2022

Same author

Autoreactive CD8 T cells in NOD mice exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity but restricted TCR gene usage.

Life science alliance·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Examination of Thymic Positive and Negative Selection by Flow Cytometry

Examination of Thymic Positive and Negative Selection by Flow Cytometry

Published on: October 8, 2012

Developmental dynamics of post-selection thymic DN iNKT.

Maryam Yassai¹, Brian Cooley, Jack Gorski

¹Blood Research Institute, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America. maryam.yassai@bcw.edu

|August 29, 2012

Summary

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell development is rapid, with precursors becoming double-negative (DN) within a day. These DN iNKT cells quickly populate the spleen, highlighting swift thymic maturation dynamics.

More Related Videos

Characterization of Thymic Settling Progenitors in the Mouse Embryo Using In Vivo and In Vitro Assays

Characterization of Thymic Settling Progenitors in the Mouse Embryo Using In Vivo and In Vitro Assays

Published on: June 9, 2015

Preparation and Applications of Organotypic Thymic Slice Cultures

Preparation and Applications of Organotypic Thymic Slice Cultures

Published on: August 6, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Examination of Thymic Positive and Negative Selection by Flow Cytometry

Examination of Thymic Positive and Negative Selection by Flow Cytometry

Published on: October 8, 2012

Characterization of Thymic Settling Progenitors in the Mouse Embryo Using In Vivo and In Vitro Assays

Characterization of Thymic Settling Progenitors in the Mouse Embryo Using In Vivo and In Vitro Assays

Published on: June 9, 2015

Preparation and Applications of Organotypic Thymic Slice Cultures

Preparation and Applications of Organotypic Thymic Slice Cultures

Published on: August 6, 2016

Area of Science:

Immunology
T cell development
Innate lymphoid cells

Background:

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells originate in the thymus, diverging from conventional T cell maturation at the double-positive (DP) stage.
Specific timelines for iNKT cell precursor developmental stages remain largely undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the maturation dynamics of post-selection double-negative (DN) iNKT cells.
To determine the time frame for iNKT cell development from DP to DN stages and subsequent peripheral migration.

Main Methods:

Utilized wild-type DP(dim) thymocytes injected into TCRα(-/-) mice to track iNKT cell maturation.
Employed Vα14-Jα18 rearrangements as a molecular marker to monitor developmental progression.

Main Results:

Post-selection DN iNKT cell development is exceptionally rapid, with CD4 and CD8 down-regulation occurring in under 24 hours.
These thymic DN iNKT cells serve as precursors for peripheral iNKT cells, appearing in the spleen within 1-2 days.
Thymic DN iNKT populations are primarily sustained by cells returning from the periphery, with minor contributions from precursor expansion.

Conclusions:

iNKT cell maturation from DP to DN stages in the thymus is a rapid process, completed in less than a day.
The study provides a quantitative measure of T cell maturation dynamics in the thymus, comparable to conventional αβ T cells.
Peripheral iNKT cell populations are rapidly replenished by swift thymic maturation and peripheral recirculation.