Detection and localization by the monoclonal anti-interleukin 2 receptor antibody AMT-13 of IL 2 receptor-bearing cells in the developing thymus of the mouse embryo and in the thymus of cortisone-treated mice.

During embryonic development of the mouse, before expressing classical T cell markers, the blast cells colonizing the thymus react with the monoclonal antibody AMT-13 shown previously to detect interleukin 2 receptors. The proportion of AMT-13+ cells decreases as gestation time increases. On the other hand, the proportion of Thy-1+, Lyt-1+ and Lyt-2+ cells increases during ontogenesis. On the 19th day of gestation when the thymus architecture is comparable to the adult thymus, the AMT-13+ cells become localized in the subcapsular area of the cortex. In the adult thymus after cortison treatment the regenerating cells express the AMT-13 antigen. The AMT-13 antigen presumably the interleukin 2 receptor is the first marker of the early embryonic thymocytes reported until now that may be related to cellular function.