A T cell-specific knockout reveals an important role for protease-activated receptor 2 in lymphocyte development

Abstract

Activation of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) expressed by T cells has been linked to the bone loss associated with periodontitis. We generated PAR2 conditional-null mice and crossed these with mice expressing Cre recombinase under control of the Lck proximal promoter, to produce T cell-specific PAR2-null mice in order to further study the cellular mechanism involved in periodontitis. Here we report that efficient deletion of PAR2 in thymocytes isolated from T cell-specific PAR2-null mice resulted in thymic and splenic hypoplasia and a reduction in the cells of the cortex and a loss of distinction between the cortex and the medulla of the thymus. FACS analysis confirmed significant redu..