2.1 POJA-L972. Thymic nurse cell (TNC) (mouse)
2.1 POJA-L972
Title: Thymic nurse cell (TNC) (mouse)
Description: Stain: electron microscopy.
The thymic nurse cell (TNC) consists of an epithelial reticular cell (type I) enclosing thymocytes. The TNC exists as a sealed structure in situ, i.e. the lymphocytes within the TNC are isolated from the general thymic environment. TNC are located in the cortex, where mature thymocytes are rare.
(1): Thymocytes enclosed in the arms of a TNC cell possessing several nuclei (2).
Background: The occurrence of mature phenotype cells as well as immature lymphocytes with low CD3 expression level, within these structures, suggests that they represent a microenvironment for the selection and generation of mature T cells. They express MHC, secrete hormones and cytokines. A single TNC, by providing specific microenvironments, might have different roles in T-cell development: phagocyte activity; nursing activity; capability to stimulate proliferation o thymic T-cells and probably to mediate selection processes.
Keywords/Mesh: lymphatic tissue, thymus, reticular tissue, epithelioreticular cell, thymic nurse cell (TNC), histology, electron microscopy, POJA collection
Title: Thymic nurse cell (TNC) (mouse)
Description: Stain: electron microscopy.
The thymic nurse cell (TNC) consists of an epithelial reticular cell (type I) enclosing thymocytes. The TNC exists as a sealed structure in situ, i.e. the lymphocytes within the TNC are isolated from the general thymic environment. TNC are located in the cortex, where mature thymocytes are rare.
(1): Thymocytes enclosed in the arms of a TNC cell possessing several nuclei (2).
Background: The occurrence of mature phenotype cells as well as immature lymphocytes with low CD3 expression level, within these structures, suggests that they represent a microenvironment for the selection and generation of mature T cells. They express MHC, secrete hormones and cytokines. A single TNC, by providing specific microenvironments, might have different roles in T-cell development: phagocyte activity; nursing activity; capability to stimulate proliferation o thymic T-cells and probably to mediate selection processes.
Keywords/Mesh: lymphatic tissue, thymus, reticular tissue, epithelioreticular cell, thymic nurse cell (TNC), histology, electron microscopy, POJA collection