title: T-cell receptor diversity in dendritic epidermal T cells in the rat.
abstract: The rat epidermis contains a population of dendritic CD3+ cells. For a better characterization of these cells and to investigate their relationship to epidermal lymphocytes of other species, we stained rat epidermal sheets using a variety of monoclonal antibodies against rat leukocyte differentiation antigens in an indirect immunofluorescence procedure. Additionally, we attempted to define their T-cell receptor (TCR) isotype at both the nucleic acid and protein level. Results obtained showed that the majority of the CD3+ dendritic epidermal cells are CD45+, CD2+, TCR alpha beta-, major histocompatibility complex class II-, Thy-1-, asialo GM1-, CD4-, CD5-, and CD8- lymphocytes. We further observed that, in contrast to the mouse system, the rat epidermis additionally harbors a small but distinctive portion of dendritic CD3+ cells that exhibit reactivity with an anti-pan TCR alpha beta monoclonal antibody. Our further finding that rat epidermal cells enriched for CD3+ lymphocytes express full-length C delta mRNA suggests that the vast majority of rat epidermal T cells carry surface-bound TCR gamma delta moieties. On the basis of these findings, one may speculate that the indigenous T-cell population of the epidermis is not necessarily programmed to uniformly express monomorphic TCR gamma delta molecules but, to effectively fulfill its role in host defense, is capable of adaptation to the specific challenges encountered by a given species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Vienna Medical School, VIRCC, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbe
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kilgus
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hünig
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stingl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D018801:CD2 Antigens; D017252:CD3 Complex; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D004247:DNA; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens