Research Paper Volume 9, Issue 3 pp 706—740

Genomic deletion of GIT2 induces a premature age-related thymic dysfunction and systemic immune system disruption

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Figure 3. Development of idiosyncratic parathymic lobes in GIT2KO mice. Large parathymic lobes (PTLs) were consistently observed in 12 month old GIT2KO mice only (A: 1-thymus, 2-PTL). Total cell count data measured in WT and GIT2KO inguinal and mesenteric lymph nodes (ILN and MLN respectively), thymus and PTLs (GIT2KO only) (B). (C) PTLs express significantly lower Troma-I expression compared to WT or GIT2KO thymus (C). PTLs also demonstrate significantly-distinct patterns (compared to WT and GIT2KO thymus, ILN and MLN) of total counts for Lin- (D), ETP (E), DN2 (F) and DN3 (G) T cell precursors, as well as for CD8+ (H) and CD4+ (I) cells. All values indicated are mean ± SEM. For histograms WT data are represented by solid black objects, with GIT2KO data represented by lined objects. Months of age is abbreviated to m.o. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.