A quantitative study of the mechanisms behind thymic atrophy in Gαi2-deficient mice during colitis development

PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e36726. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036726. Epub 2012 May 10.

Abstract

Mice deficient for the G protein subunit Gαi2 spontaneously develop colitis, a chronic inflammatory disease associated with dysregulated T cell responses. We and others have previously demonstrated a thymic involution in these mice and an aberrant thymocyte dynamics. The Gαi2(-/-) mice have a dramatically reduced fraction of double positive thymocytes and an increased fraction of single positive (SP) thymocytes. In this study, we quantify a number of critical parameters in order to narrow down the underlying mechanisms that cause the dynamical changes of the thymocyte development in the Gαi2(-/-) mice. Our data suggest that the increased fraction of SP thymocytes results only from a decreased number of DP thymocytes, since the number of SP thymocytes in the Gαi2(-/-) mice is comparable to the control littermates. By measuring the frequency of T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) in the thymocytes, we demonstrate that the number of cell divisions the Gαi2(-/-) SP thymocytes undergo is comparable to SP thymocytes from control littermates. In addition, our data show that the mature SP CD4(+) and CD8(+) thymocytes divide to the same extent before they egress from the thymus. By estimating the number of peripheral TREC(+) T lymphocytes and their death rate, we could calculate the daily egression of thymocytes. Gαi2(-/-) mice with no/mild and moderate colitis were found to have a slower export rate in comparison to the control littermates. The quantitative measurements in this study suggest a number of dynamical changes in the thymocyte development during the progression of colitis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atrophy / genetics
  • Atrophy / metabolism
  • Atrophy / pathology
  • CD4 Antigens / metabolism
  • CD8 Antigens / metabolism
  • Colitis / genetics
  • Colitis / metabolism*
  • Colitis / pathology
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Thymocytes / metabolism*
  • Thymocytes / pathology
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism*
  • Thymus Gland / pathology

Substances

  • CD4 Antigens
  • CD8 Antigens
  • GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunit, Gi2
  • Gnai2 protein, mouse