Notch activity influences the alpha-beta versus gamma-delta T cell lineage decision

The mechanism involved in the T cell lineage decision was studied using transgenic mice as host systems, supplemented with flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The results revealed that T cells that are heterozygous for a mutation of the Notch1 gene have a greater tendency to develop as gamma-delta T cells rather than as alpha-beta T cells. A constitutively activated form of Notch gene, on the other hand, stimulates the thymocytes to adopt the alpha-beta T cell fate. Notch, together with the newly formed T cell antigen receptor are thus identified as determinants of T cell lineage decision.