After puberty, the thymus undergoes a dramatic loss in volume, in weight an
d in the number of thymocytes, a phenomenon termed age-associated thymic in
volution, Recently, it was reported that age-associated thymic involution d
id not occur in mice expressing a rearranged transgenic (Tg) TCR alpha beta
receptor. This finding implied that an age-associated defect in TCR rearra
ngement was the major, if not the only, cause for thymic involution. Here,
we examined thymic involution in three other widely used MHC class I-restri
cted TCR alpha beta Tg mouse strains and compared it with that in non-Tg mi
ce. In all three TCR alpha beta Tg strains, as in control mice, thymocyte n
umbers were reduced by similar to 90% between 2 and 24 mo of age. The prese
nce or absence of the selecting MHC molecules did not alter this age-associ
ated cell loss, Our results indicate that the expression of a rearranged TC
R alone cannot, by itself prevent thymic involution, Consequently, other pr
esently unknown factors must also contribute to this phenomenon.