T cell receptor gene deletion circles identify recent thymic emigrants in the peripheral T cell pool

T cell receptor gene deletion circles identify recent thymic emigrants in the peripheral T cell pool.

Progenitor cells undergo T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements during their intrathymic differentiation to become T cells. Rearrangements of the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) segments of the TCR genes result in deletion of the intervening chromosomal DNA and the formation of circular episomes as a byproduct. Detection of these extrachromosomal excision circles in T cells loca...

Reevaluation of T cell receptor excision circles as a measure of human recent thymic emigrants.

The human thymus exports newly generated T cells to the periphery. As no markers have been identified for these recent thymic emigrants (RTE), it is presently impossible to measure human thymic output. T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) have been recently used to assess thymic output during both health and disease. Using a mathematical model, we quantify age-dependent changes both in the n...

Thymic Emigrants Circles as a Measure of Human Recent Reevaluation of T Cell Receptor Excision

Recent thymic emigrants are preferentially incorporated only into the depleted T-cell pool.

Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are the youngest subset of peripheral T cells, and they differ functionally and phenotypically from the rest of the naïve T-cell pool. RTEs are present in the peripheral T-cell pool throughout life but are the most common subset of T cells in neonates and adults recovering from lymphoablation. Using a murine model to study the homeostasis of RTEs, we show that und...

Target Recent Thymic Emigrants T Cell Receptor Revision Does Not Solely