Turnover of bulk of thymocytes

Range 5 - 7 days
Organism Mouse Mus musculus
Reference Scollay RG, Butcher EC, Weissman IL. Thymus cell migration. Quantitative aspects of cellular traffic from the thymus to the periphery in mice. Eur J Immunol. 1980 Mar10(3):210-8. abstract & p.217 left column bottom paragraphPubMed ID7379836
Method Abstract:"[Investigators] have used intrathymic injection of fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC] to label thymocytes in situ."
Comments Abstract:"[Investigators'] data show that in young adults, about 1% of thymocytes leave the thymus per day. Since the bulk of thymocytes turn over every 5 to 7 days, this indicates that the vast majority (95%) of thymocytes die within the thymus." p.217 left column bottom paragraph:"Since it is generally agreed that the thymus population turns over every 5-7 days, [investigators’] data suggest that the vast majority of thymocytes must die in situ, and there are now a number of studies which support this fact, based mainly on kinetic studies with DNA precursors."
Entered by Uri M
ID 111617