Visualization and identification of IL-7 producing cells in reporter mice.

• Main Authors: Renata I Mazzucchelli, Søren Warming, Scott M Lawrence, Masaru Ishii, Mehrnoosh Abshari, A Valance Washington, Lionel Feigenbaum, Andrew C Warner, Davis J Sims, Wen Qing Li, Julie A Hixon, Daniel H D Gray, Benjamin E Rich, Matthew Morrow, Miriam R Anver, James Cherry, Dieter Naf, Lawrence R Sternberg, Daniel W McVicar, Andrew G Farr, Ronald N Germain, Keith Rogers, Nancy A Jenkins, Neal G Copeland, Scott K Durum
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2009-11-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2770321?pdf=render

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is required for lymphocyte development and homeostasis although the actual sites of IL-7 production have never been clearly identified. We produced a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse expressing ECFP in the Il7 locus. The construct lacked a signal peptide and ECFP (enhanced cyan fluorescent protein) accumulated inside IL-7-producing stromal cells in thoracic thymus, cervical thymus and bone marrow. In thymus, an extensive reticular network of IL-7-containing processes extended from cortical and medullary epithelial cells, closely contacting thymocytes. Central memory CD8 T cells, which require IL-7 and home to bone marrow, physically associated with IL-7-producing cells as we demonstrate by intravital imaging.