The duration of antigen receptor signalling determines CD4(+) versus CD8(+) T-cell lineage fate

Signals elicited by binding of the T-cell antigen receptor and the CD4/CD8 co-receptor to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules control the generation of CD4(+) (helper) or CD8(+) (cytotoxic) T cells from thymic pr ecursors that initially express both co-receptor proteins'. These precursor s have unique, clonally distributed T-cell receptors with unpredictable spe cificity for the self-MHC molecules involved in this differentiation proces s', However, the mature T cells that emerge express only the CD4 (MHC class II-binding) or CD8 (MHC class I-binding) co-receptor that complements the MHC class-specificity of the T-cell receptor. How this matching of co-recep tor-defined lineage and T-cell-receptor specificity is achieved remains unk nown(1,3,4), as does whether signalling by the T-cell receptors, co-recepto rs and/ or general cell-fate regulators such as Notch-1 (refs 5, 6) contrib utes to initial lineage choice, to subsequent differentiation processes or to both. Here we show that the CD4 versus CD8 lineage fate of immature thym ocytes is controlled by the co-receptor-influenced duration of initial T-ce ll receptor-dependent signalling. Notch-1 does not appear to be essential f or this fate determination, but it is selectively required for CD8(+) T-cel l maturation after commitment directed by T-cell receptors, This indicates that the signals constraining CD4 versus CD8 lineage decisions are distinct from those that support subsequent differentiation events such as silencin g of co-receptor loci.