Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
12:59

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes

Published on: September 27, 2013

Interleukin-7: a cofactor for V(D)J rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta gene

K Muegge1, M P Vila, S K Durum

  • 1Biological Carcinogenesis and Development Program, Program Resources Inc./Dyncorp, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, MD 21702.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 2, 1993
PubMed

The diversity of the T cell receptor repertoire is generated by rearrangement of gene elements in immature thymocytes. To identify a thymic signal that induces this rearrangement, a variety of agents were tested for their ability to induce rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta gene in suspensions of thymocytes from mouse embryos at day 14 of gestation. Of 16 agents tested, only interleukin-7 (IL-7) induced V(D)J gene rearrangement and sustained expression of the RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes, which are known to control rearrangement. These data implicate IL-7, a cytokine that is abundantly expressed in embryonic thymus, in driving gene rearrangement during early T cell development.

More Related Videos

Mouse Naïve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets07:12

Mouse Naïve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets

Published on: April 16, 2015

Use of Single Chain MHC Technology to Investigate Co-agonism in Human CD8+ T Cell Activation12:09

Use of Single Chain MHC Technology to Investigate Co-agonism in Human CD8+ T Cell Activation

Published on: February 28, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

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...
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

B Cell Activation and Differentiation

The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
When naive B cells encounter a specific antigen that can bind to the B cell receptor (BCR) on their surface, they undergo sensitization to respond to the antigen's presence. Sensitization begins with...