Development of peptide-selected CD8 T cells in fetal thymic organ culture occurs via the conventional pathway

Fetal thymic organ culture of TCR transgenic (Tg) tissue has been used to study issues of timing and specificity in T cell development. Because most TCR Tgs express a rearranged αβ TCR on the cell surface at an earlier stage in development than normal mice, there is a possibility that the conclusions of studies using TCR Tg cultures may not apply to normal development. In particular, in our studies of peptide-induced development of CD8 T cells, it is possible that the peptide acts on the immature double-negative cell, driving development of CD8 T cells without passing through a double-positive stage. This issue was examined by asking whether MHC class I restriction was required and by analyzing CD8β levels and endogenous TCRα chain rearrangements. We found that if nonstimulatory peptides were used in fetal thymic organ culture, CD8 T cells developed via the conventional pathway, transiting through a double-positive stage. However, we could not rule out that cells selected in the presence of stimulatory peptides (agonists) did not develop directly from double-negative precursors.