# Signals that Control Thymocyte Migration

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2024 · $467,556

## Abstract

Abstract:
The choice of developing T cells to adopt the CD4 helper or CD8 killer cell fate is a valuable model for
understanding mammalian cell fate decisions and is a key step in shaping the adaptive immune response.
While it is known that TCR recognition of self pMHC ligands in the thymus controls cell fate, the molecular
links between TCR signaling and the activation of the lineage-defining transcriptional networks remains
unknown. Guided by a high-resolution single cell map of T cell development, we propose to define the
molecular links between different branches of the TCR signaling pathway and the transcriptional network
that specifies the CD4 fate (Aim 1). We will also probe the factors that determine why thymocytes that
recognize MHC-2 fully activate this network, whereas thymocytes that recognize MHC-1 do not (Aim 2). The
proposed studies will reveal fundamental principles underlying mammalian cell fate decisions and help to
understand the molecular mechanisms that link the killer versus helper T cell effector functional programs to
the recognition of MHC 1 versus 2.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10910109
- **Project number:** 5R01AI064227-17
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** ELLEN A ROBEY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $467,556
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-18 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10910109

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10910109, Signals that Control Thymocyte Migration (5R01AI064227-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10910109. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*