DURING lymphocyte development, cellular proliferation and positive and
negative selection events ensure the production of T and B lymphocyte
s bearing highly diverse, but self-tolerant, repertoires of antigen re
ceptors(1,2). These processes are initiated when engagement of growth-
factor receptors, or the T-3,T-4 and B-5 lymphocyte antigen receptors,
induces tyrosine phosphorylation of specific SH2- and SH3-domain-cont
aining cytoplasmic proteins, including Vav(3,6,7). Here we show that v
av(-/-) embryonic stern cells generate only limited numbers of immatur
e and mature T and B lymphocytes in the RAG-2 blastocyst complementati
on assays. Furthermore, Vav-deficient T lymphocytes showed severely im
paired antigen receptor signalling. Finally, we demonstrate that Vav-d
ependent signalling pathways regulate maturation, but not CD4/ CD8 lin
eage commitment, during T-cell-receptor-mediated positive selection of
immature CD4(+)CD8(+) precursors into mature CD4(+)CD8(-) or CD4(-)CD
8(+) T cells.