
Kawai K, Kishihara K, Molina TJ, Wallace VA, Mak TW, Ohashi PS:
Impaired development of V gamma 3 dendritic epidermal T cells in
p56lck protein tyrosine kinase-deficient and CD45 protein tyrosine
phosphatase-deficient mice.
Journal of Experimental Medicine 1995 Jan 1;181(1):345-9
ABSTRACT
To determine whether p56lck protein tyrosine kinase and CD45 protein
tyrosine phosphatase are involved in the signal transduction during
intrathymic differentiation of gamma/delta T cells, we have examined
the development of T cells expressing V gamma 3 T cell receptor
(TCR) in mice deficient for either protein. The skin from both mice
contained significantly reduced numbers of dendritic epidermal T
cells expressing decreased levels of V gamma 3 TCR at the cell
surface. Analysis of the fetal thymus from these mice suggested that
maturation of V gamma 3 thymocytes was blocked at the immature stage
that was characterized by the low level of V gamma 3 TCR and the
high level of heat stable antigen. These results imply that both
p56lck and CD45 are involved in the signal transduction during
maturation of V gamma 3 T cells in the fetal thymus.