Peyer's patch organogenesis as a programmed inflammation: A hypothetical model

Gene-knock-out studies implicate roles of lymphotoxin (LT) alpha beta and LT beta R in the initial phase of Peyer's patch (PP) organogenesis. We recently identified the requirement of IL-7R alpha/gamma c/Jak3 signal in LT alpha beta production of IL-7R alpha(+) cells. These observations lead us to a hypothetical model for PP organogenesis with three cellular components. The first is the producer of the ligand for IL-7R alpha, which then stimulate the IL-7R alpha(+) cells to produce LT alpha beta, activating the LT beta R+ cells to form an organizing center for PP organogenesis, This model is similar to that of inflammation, suggesting that PP organogenesis is a programmed version of inflammation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.