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Galectin-1, an Endogenous Lectin Produced by Thymic Epithelial Cells, Induces Apoptosis of Human Thymocytes
- Source :
- The Journal of Experimental Medicine, The Journal of experimental medicine, vol 185, iss 10
- Publication Year :
- 1997
- Publisher :
- The Rockefeller University Press, 1997.
-
Abstract
- Galectin-1, a β-galactoside binding protein, is produced by thymic epithelial cells and binds to human thymocytes. We have previously reported that galectin-1 induces the apoptosis of activated T lymphocytes. Because the majority of thymocytes die via apoptosis while still within the thymus, we tested whether galectin-1 could induce the apoptosis of these cells. We now report that in vitro exposure to galectin-1 induced apoptosis of two subsets of CD4lo CD8lo thymocytes. The phenotypes of susceptible thymocytes were consistent with that of both negatively selected and nonselected cells. Galectin-1–induced apoptosis was enhanced by preexposure of thymocytes to antibody to CD3, suggesting that galectin-1 may be a participant in T-cell– receptor mediated apoptosis. In contrast, pretreatment of thymocytes with dexamethasone had no effect on galectin-1 susceptibility. We noted that 71% of the cells undergoing apoptosis after galectin-1 treatment had a DNA content greater than 2N, indicating that proliferating thymocytes were most sensitive to galectin-1. We propose that galectin-1 plays a role in the apoptosis of both negatively selected and nonselected thymocytes, and that the susceptibility of thymocytes to galectin-1 is regulated, in part, by entry or exit from the cell cycle.
- Subjects :
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
Galectin 1
T-Lymphocytes
Endogeny
Apoptosis
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
Medical and Health Sciences
Epithelium
0302 clinical medicine
Models
T-Lymphocyte Subsets
Lectins
2.1 Biological and endogenous factors
Immunology and Allergy
Aetiology
Cells, Cultured
0303 health sciences
Cultured
biology
medicine.diagnostic_test
Articles
Cell cycle
Flow Cytometry
Recombinant Proteins
Cell biology
Immunological
medicine.anatomical_structure
Hemagglutinins
Galectin-1
Antibody
animal structures
Cells
CD3
Immunology
Thymus Gland
Article
Flow cytometry
03 medical and health sciences
medicine
otorhinolaryngologic diseases
Humans
030304 developmental biology
Models, Immunological
DNA
Molecular biology
stomatognathic diseases
Dithiothreitol
Emerging Infectious Diseases
biology.protein
030215 immunology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 15409538 and 00221007
- Volume :
- 185
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of Experimental Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....dcb07ed9023dc0c3d2f3e50ac40422fb