Extrathymic origin of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes bearing T-cell antigen receptor gamma delta.
The kinetics of postnatal intestinal colonization by T cells carrying gamma delta and alpha beta T-cell antigen receptors were studied in nude and normal mice by flow cytometry and immunohistology. Furthermore, gamma delta and alpha beta T-cell development was analyzed in lethally irradiated mice that were reconstituted by fetal liver precursors with or without a thymus. Our results establish that a major subpopulation of gamma delta intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes is produced from uncommitted precursors at extrathymic sites. This work further shows that a small pool of T cells carrying alpha beta T-cell receptors can also differentiate extrathymically from CD3- fetal liver precursors but with rates of production and peripheral expansion much reduced as compared with those observed in thymus-bearing animals.
Bandeira
A
A
Unite d'immunobiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Itohara
S
S
Bonneville
M
M
Burlen-Defranoux
O
O
Mota-Santos
T
T
Coutinho
A
A
Tonegawa
S
S
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005333:Fetus; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell