Cbx4 regulates the proliferation of thymic epithelial cells and thymus function

• DOI: 10.1242/dev.085035
• Publication Date: 2013-01-29T15:01:23Z
• Authors: Bo Liu; Yuan-Feng Liu; Ya-Rui Du; Andrei N. Mardaryev; Wei Yang; Hui Chen; Zhi-Mei Xu; Chen-Qi Xu; Xiao-Ren Zhang; Vladimir A. Botch...; Yu Zhang; Guo-Liang Xu
• Keywords: Thymocyte; Thymic involution; Progenitor; Organogenesis

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are the main component of thymic stroma, which supports T-cell proliferation and repertoire selection. Here, we demonstrate that Cbx4, a Polycomb protein is highly expressed in epithelium, has an essential non-redundant role organogenesis. Targeted disruption Cbx4 causes severe hypoplasia fetal thymus as result reduced thymocyte proliferation. Cell-specific deletion shows compromised thymopoiesis rooted defective compartment. Cbx4-deficient TECs exhibit impaired proliferative capacity, limited architecture quickly deteriorates postnatal mutant mice, leading to almost complete blockade development shortly after birth markedly peripheral populations adult mice. Furthermore, show physically interacts functionally correlates with p63, transcriptional regulator proposed be important for maintenance stemness progenitors. Together, these data establish crucial generation epithelium and, hence, development.