Lymphoid lineage cells in adult murine bone marrow diverge from those of other blood cells at an early, hormone-sensitive stage

Advances in cell sorting and GFP knock-in technology have made it possible to identify rare hematopoietic cells in marine bone marrow that are undergoing lymphocyte fate specification. Steroid hormones also represent important research tools for investigating relationships between different categories of lympho-hematopoietic precursors. By selectively blocking entry into and progression within lymphoid lineages, the hormones probably have a major influence on numbers of lymphocytes that are produced under normal circumstances. These issues are discussed within the context of developmental age-dependent changes that occur in the lymphopoietic process.