Expression data from developing thymocytes of N15TCR transgenic Rag2 deficient mice

T cell development relies on the precise developmental control of various cellular functions for appropriate positive and negative selection. Previously, gene expression profiling of peptide-driven negative selection events in the N15 TCR class I MHC-restricted mouse and D011.10 TCR class II MHC-restricted mouse has offered insights into the coordinate engagement of biological processes affecting thymocyte development. However, there has been little comparable detailed in vivo global genome expression analysis reported for positive selection. We used microarrays to identify the genes differentially expressed during CD8 single positive T cell development in N15 TCR transgenic Rag2 deficient mice. We have analyzed gene expression in the individual populations as development proceeds from DP, intermediate (Int), to SP subsets. To this end, we sorted the individual populations from six age and sex matched 5-6 week old N15 TCR tg+/+ RAG-2-/- H-2b mice for two independent experiments. For sorting subpopulations, cells were stained with anti-CD4 (L3T4) and anti-CD8 (Ly-2) antibodies (Pharmingen, San Diego, CA USA) and DP, Int and SP thymocytes were sorted on a MoFlo (Cytomation, Fort Collins, CO USA).