Homeostatic regulation of intestinal epithelia by intraepithelial gamma delta T cells.
Although T cells bearing gamma delta T-cell receptors have long been known to be present in the epithelial lining of many organs, their specificity and function remain elusive. In the present study, we examined the intestinal epithelia of T-cell-receptor mutant mice, which were deficient in either gamma delta T cells or alpha beta T cells, and of normal littermates. The absence of gamma delta T cells was associated with a reduction in epithelial cell turnover and a downregulation of the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. No such effects were observed in alpha beta T-cell-deficient mice. These findings indicate that intraepithelial gamma delta T cells regulate the generation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.
Komano
H
H
Department of Pathology, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Fujiura
Y
Y
Kawaguchi
M
M
Matsumoto
S
S
Hashimoto
Y
Y
Obana
S
S
Mombaerts
P
P
Tonegawa
S
S
Yamamoto
H
H
Itohara
S
S
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006706:Homeostasis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
D017931:DNA Primers; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta