mTORC2 in thymic epithelial cells controls thymopoiesis and T cell development

摘要

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) play important roles in T cell generation. Mechanisms that control TEC development and function are still not well defined. The mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) signals to regulate cell survival, nutrient uptake, and metabolism. We report here that mice with TEC-specific ablation of Rictor, a critical and unique adaptor molecule in mTORC2, display thymic atrophy, which accompanies decreased TEC numbers in the medulla. Moreover, generation of multiple T cell lineages, including conventional TCRαβ T cells, regulatory T cells, iNKT cells, and TCRγδ T cells, was reduced in TEC-specific Rictor-deficient mice. Our data demonstrate that mTORC2 in TECs is important for normal thymopoiesis and efficient T cell generation.