The thymic stromal cell line MTSC4 induced thymocyte apoptosis in a non-MHC-restricted manner.

Mouse thymic stromal cell line 4 (MTSC4) is one of the stromal cell lines established in our laboratory. While losing the characteristics of epithelial cells, they express some surface markers shared with thymic dendritic cells (TDCs). To further study the biological functions of these cells, we compared the capability of MTSC4 with TDCs in the induction of thymocyte apoptosis, using thymic reaggregation culture system.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel rat CXC chemokine, rPBP, the homologue of human and mouse PBP.

We have previously cloned the mouse platelet basic protein (mPBP), a homologue of human PBP, from mouse thymic stromal cells. Using EST alignment and RT-PCR, the rat homologue of human and mouse PBP was cloned from lung and named as rPBP. The complete open reading frame and part of the 3'- and 5'-non-coding regions were obtained through rapid amplification of cDNA ends.

SDF-1alpha production is negatively regulated by mouse estrogen enhanced transcript in a mouse thymus epithelial cell line.

SDF-1/CXCR4 plays an important role in promoting survival, expansion, and differentiation of T cell progenitors. The present study investigates the mechanism by which estrogen inhibits SDF-1alpha expression in mouse thymus. Mouse estrogen enhanced transcript (mEET) is endogenously expressed in a mouse thymus epithelial cell line 1 (MTEC1).

Negative regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene expression by a mouse estrogen-enhanced transcript.

A novel gene containing two typical estrogen responsive elements (ERE) was cloned from MTEC1 cells, a mouse thymus epithelial cell line that produces constitutively many chemokines. This gene is a homologue of the rat estrogen-enhanced transcript (EET) gene, and is called the mEET gene. mEET protein is expressed in cytoplasm.