The Final Maturation of at Least Some Single-Positive Cd4hiThymocytes Does Not Require T Cell Receptor–Major Histocompatibility Complex Contact

The majority (∼70%) of postselection CD4+ single-positive (SP) thymocytes are CD8loCD4hi. These cells express very low levels of CD8, undetectable by flow cytofluorimetric (FCM) analysis, but sufficiently high to allow purification by panning. Unlike the fully mature CD8−CD4hi thymocytes, which account for the remaining ∼30% of the SP CD4+ thymocytes, CD8loCD4hi cells are functionally immature and short-lived unless they receive an unidentified maturation signal from the thymus. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that this signal is provided by a T cell receptor (TCR)–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II interaction. Using intrathymic transfer, we show that the immature CD8loCD4hi cells could complete their intrathymic maturation and populate the peripheral lymphoid organs in the absence of MHC class II (and class I) molecules. Furthermore, in mice devoid of class II (and class I) molecules, the progeny of CD8loCD4hi cells was long-lived and functionally reactive to allogeneic class II molecules, although their numbers in the spleen and the mesenteric lymph node were ∼40–50% lower than those in class II+ mice 5 mo after transfer. Control experiments demonstrated tha