title: CD8 gamma delta cells: presence in the adult rat thymus and generation in vitro from CD4-/CD8- thymocytes in the presence of interleukin 2.
abstract: Three to fifteen percent of peripheral T cells in adults express the recently described gamma delta T-cell antigen receptor (TcR) heterodimer. A small subpopulation of gamma delta cells express the CD8 accessory molecule. In this study, we analyzed the potential of highly purified CD4-/CD8-, double negative (DN) rat precursor thymocytes to give rise to gamma delta cells. We observed that in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and concanavalin A (ConA), both DN and CD8 cells expressing the gamma delta TcR were generated in vitro. We then examined the rat thymus for these cells and confirmed the presence of a previously undescribed CD8 TcR-alpha beta- subset in the rat thymus, expressing high levels of TcR-gamma and delta messages with no detectable TcR-alpha transcripts, similar to the cells generated in vitro in the presence of IL-2 and ConA.
authors.affiliation: Biological Carcinogenesis Development Program, Program Resources Inc., NCI-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Frederick, MD.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Gotlieb
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Takacs
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Finch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kopp
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Durum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011915:Rats, Inbred BUF; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000187:drug effects; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D003208:Concanavalin A