Abstract
Two dimensional monolayer culture of thymic epithelial cells has been used for more than two decades for evaluation of the nature of these cells. Both cells from infant thymi and from thymi from a variety of laboratory animals have been used. The main reason for the broad interest in culture of these epithelial cells is the documented importance of thymic stromal cells, and among them, especially, epithelial cells in the selection of T-lymphocyte precursors and their differentiation to functionally mature T lymphocytes (1-4). However, differentiation of T-lymphocyte precursors, which is dependent on correct spatial organization of subtypes of epithelial and mesenchymal cells, may be better studied in murine fetal organ cultures or reaggregate cultures (5 6), whereas the culture of thymic epithelial cells in 2-dimensional monolayer cultures, as described here, is useful for characterization of the epithelial cells per se, their morphology, subtypes, surface characteristics, secretion, antigen presentation, and direct interaction with T-lymphocyte precursors added to the cultures, as well as for establishment of epithelial cell lines.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ritter, M. A., and Boyd, R. L. (1993) Development in the thymus; it takes two to tango. Immunol. Today 14, 462–469.
van Ewijk, W., Shores, E. W., and Singer, A. (1994) Crosstalk in the mouse thymus. Immunol. Today 15, 214–217.
Res, P., and Spits, H. (1999) Developmental stages in the human thymus. Sem. Immunol. 11, 39–46.
Shortman, K., and Wu, L. (1996) Early T lymphocyte progenitors. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 14, 28–47.
Anderson, G., Jenkinson, E. J., Moore, N. C., and Owen, J. J. T. (1993) MHC class II-positive epithelium and mesenchyme cells are both required for T-cell development in the thymus. Nature 362, 70–73.
Ernst, B. B., Surh, C. D., and Sprent, J. (1996) Bone marrow-derived cells fail to induce positive selection in thymus reaggregation cultures. J. Exp. Med. 183, 1235–1240.
Ropke, C. (1997) Thymic epithelial cell culture. Microsc. Res. Tech. 38, 276–286.
Barnes, D., and Sato, G. (1980) Methods for growth of cultured cells in serum-free medium. Anal. Biochem. 102, 255–270.
Barnes, D. W., and Sato, G. H. (1980) Serum-free culture: a unifying approach. Cell 22, 649–655.
Farr, A. G., Eisenhardt, D. J., and Anderson, S. K. (1986) Isolation of thymic epithelium and an improved method for its propagation in vitro. Anat. Rec. 216, 85–94.
Galy, A. H. M., Hadden, E. M., Touraine, J.-L., and Hadden, J. W. (1989) Effects of cytokines on human thymic epithelial cells in culture: IL-1 induces thymic epithelial cell proliferation and change in morphology. Cell. Immunol. 124, 13–27.
Singer, K. H., Harden, E. A., Robertson, A., Lobach, D. F., and Haynes, B. F. (1985) In vitro growth and phenotypic characterization of mesodermal-derived and epithelial components of normal and abnormal human thymus. Hum. Immunol. 13, 161–176.
Sun, T.-T., Bonitz, P., and Burns, W. H. (1984) Cell culture of mammalian thymic epithelial cells: growth, structural, and antigenic properties. Cell. Immunol. 83, 1–13.
Munoz-Blay, T., Benedict, C. V., Picciano, P. T., and Cohen, S. (1987) Substrate requirements for the isolation and purification of thymic epithelial cells. J. Exp. Pathol. 3, 251–258.
Nieburgs, A. C., Picciano, P. T., Korn, J. H., MacAlister T., Allred, C., and Cohen, S. (1985) In vitro growth and maintainance of two morphologically distinct populations of thymic epithelial cells. Cell. Immunol. 90, 439–450.
Röpke, C., Petersen, O. W., and van Deurs, B. (1990) Short-term cultivation of murine thymic epithelial cells in a growth factor defined serum-free medium. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 26, 671–681.
Röpke, C., and Elbroend, J. (1992) Human thymic epithelial cells in serum-free culture: nature and effects on thymocyte cell lines. Dev. Immunol. 2, 111–121.
Andersen, A., Pedersen, H., Bendtzen, K., and Röpke, C. (1993) Effects of growth factors on cytokine production in serum-free cultures of human thymic epithelial cells. Scand. J. Immunol. 38, 233–238.
Petersen, H., Andersen, A., and Röpke, C. (1994) Human thymic epithelial cells in serum-free culture. Changes in cytokine production in primary and successive culture periods. Immunol. Lett. 41, 43–48.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Humana Press Inc.
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Röpke, C. (2002). Thymic Epithelial Cell Culture. In: Wise, C. (eds) Epithelial Cell Culture Protocols. Methods In Molecular Medicine™, vol 188. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-185-X:27
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-185-X:27
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-893-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-185-5
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols