Somatic activation of β-catenin bypasses pre-TCR signaling and TCR selection in thymocyte development

Fotini Gounari, Iannis Aifantis, Khashayarsha Khazaie, Sonja Hoeflinger, Naomoto Harada, Makoto M. Taketo, Harald Von Boehmer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

149 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mutation or ablation of T cell factor I and lymphocyte enhancer factor I indicated involvement of the Wnt pathway in thymocyte development. The central effector of the Wnt pathway is β-catenin, which undergoes stabilization upon binding of Wnt ligands to frizzled receptors. We report here that conditional stabilization of β-catenin in immature thymocytes resulted in the generation of single positive T cells that lacked the αβ TCR and developed in the absence of pre- TCR signaling and TCR selection. Although active β-catenin induced differentiation in the absence of TCRs, it's action was associated with reduced proliferation and survival when compared to developmental changes induced by the pre- TCR or the αβ TCR.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)863-869
Number of pages7
JournalNature immunology
Volume2
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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