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ARTICLE

Questionable Thymic Nurse Cell

Mark Pezzano, Michael Samms, Marcia Martinez, Jerry Guyden
Mark Pezzano
Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031
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Michael Samms
Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031
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Marcia Martinez
Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031
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Jerry Guyden
Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031
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DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.65.3.390-403.2001
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SUMMARY

SUMMARY Since their discovery in 1980, thymic nurse cells (TNCs) have been controversial. Questions pertaining to the existence of the TNC as a “unit” cell with thymocytes completely enclosed within its cytoplasm were the focus of initial debates. Early skeptics proposed the multicellular complex to be an artifact of the procedures used to isolate TNCs from the thymus. Since that time, TNCs have been found in fish, frogs, tadpoles, chickens, sheep, pigs, rats, mice, and humans. Their evolutionary conservation throughout the animal kingdom relieved most speculations about the existence of TNCs and at the same time demonstrated their apparent importance to the thymus and T-cell development. In this review we will discuss and debate reports that describe (i) the organization or structure of TNCs, (ii) the thymocyte subset(s) found within the cytoplasm of TNCs and their uptake and release, and (iii) the function of this fascinating multicellular interaction that occurs during the process of T-cell development. Discussions about the future of the field and experimental approaches that will lead to answers to remaining questions are also presented.

  • Copyright © 2001 American Society for Microbiology
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Questionable Thymic Nurse Cell
Mark Pezzano, Michael Samms, Marcia Martinez, Jerry Guyden
Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews Sep 2001, 65 (3) 390-403; DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.65.3.390-403.2001

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Questionable Thymic Nurse Cell
Mark Pezzano, Michael Samms, Marcia Martinez, Jerry Guyden
Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews Sep 2001, 65 (3) 390-403; DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.65.3.390-403.2001
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    • SUMMARY
    • STRUCTURE OF TNCS
    • THYMOCYTE INTERNALIZATION BY TNCS
    • IMMUNOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF THE THYMOCYTE-TNC INTERACTION
    • APOPTOSIS AND DESTRUCTION OF TNC-THYMOCYTES
    • FUTURE STUDIES OF TNC FUNCTION
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • REFERENCES
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KEYWORDS

T-Lymphocyte Subsets
Thymus Gland

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