Resolving the Instructions for αβ T Cell Development

Abstract

In this issue of Immunity, Chopp et. al. use single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics in mice and human samples to delineate developmental trajectories of αβ T cell subsets and refine the kinetic selection model of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell lineage commitment.

Figure 1.. Major post-selection thymocyte subsets and precursor-product relationships identified by single cell RNAseq.

Classical phenotypic markers expressed by cells within each cluster; DP-1: TCR^lo Rag^pos CD5^lo Gata3^lo; DP-2: TCR^lo Rag^int CD5^pos Gata3^int; Sig-1: TCR^hi CD5^pos Gata3^pos Helios^neg; Sig-2: TCR^hi CD5^pos Helios^pos; Sig-3: TCR^hi CD4^lo CD8^lo CD122^neg Helios^pos PD-1^pos; Sig-4: TCR^hi CD4^neg CD8^neg CD122^pos Helios^pos; Sig-5a: TCR^int CD4^int CD8^int Bim^pos Helios^pos; Sig-5b: TCR^hi CD4^pos CD8^lo Ccr7^pos CD25^pos; ImmCD4: TCR^hi CD4^pos CD8^lo CD69^pos; MatCD4: TCR^hi CD4^pos CD8^neg CD69^lo; ImmCD8: TCR^hi CD4^lo CD8^pos CD69^pos; MatCD8: TCR^hi CD4^neg CD8^pos CD69^lo. MHC-I restricted subsets are colored purple, MHC-II restricted subsets are colored blue. Figure created with BioRender.