Kinetics of mature T-cell development in the thymus.

We have reexamined the balance between cell birth, cell maturation, and cell death in the thymus by labeling dividing thymocytes and their progeny in vivo with [3H]-thymidine, isolating clearly defined subpopulations by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and determining the distribution of label by autoradiography. When mature thymocytes were precisely defined (as CD4+CD8- CD3+ or CD4-CD8+ CD3+) and separated from immature single positives (CD4+CD8- CD3- and CD4-CD8+ CD3-), a lag was observed in the rate of entry of [3H]thymidine into mature cells. Thus, many of the mature thymocytes appear to derive from a small nondividing cortical thymocyte pool, rather than originating directly from the earliest dividing CD4+CD8+ blasts. There was little evidence for cell division during or after mature thymocyte formation, suggesting a one-for-one differentiation from cortical cells rather than selective clonal expansion. The rate of production of mature single positive thymocytes agreed closely with estimates of the rate of export of mature T cells from the thymus and was only 3% of the rate of production of double-positive cortical thymocytes. This was compatible with a stringent selection process and extensive intrathymic cell death and suggested that no extensive negative selection occurred after the mature cells were formed.