Characterization of T-cell receptor gamma delta T cells appearing at the early phase of murine Listeria monocytogenes infection.
It has been shown that T-cell receptor (TcR) gamma delta + CD4- CD8- T cells increase in number and have an important role in early protection in murine Listeria monocytogenes infection. In this report, to characterize further the phenotype of the gamma delta T cells in listeriosis, we analysed V region gene usage and in vitro antigen recognition of the TcR gamma delta T cells in the peritoneal cavity of mice at the early phase after i.p. infection with a sublethal dose of L. monocytogenes. The gamma delta T cells predominantly expressed V delta 6 which has been reported to be expressed by TcR gamma delta-bearing foetal thymocyte hybridomas specific to mycobacterial and self heat-shock protein (hsp) 60. These early appearing CD3+ CD4- CD8- T cells in Listeria-infected mice, which were reported to be TcR gamma delta T cells, increased in proportion and in size by in vitro stimulation with recombinant hsp 60 from Mycobacterium bovis and purified protein derivative from M. tuberculosis but not by stimulation with heat-killed L. monocytogenes. A 65,000 MW molecule was detected in the lysate of viable L. monocytogenes but not in the lysate of heat-killed L. monocytogenes by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against mycobacterial hsp 60. These results suggest that the V delta 6-bearing peripheral gamma delta T cells are activated by recognizing listerial hsp 60 expressed by viable L. monocytogenes. The hsp 60-reactive V delta 6-bearing T cells may have an important role in protection against L. monocytogenes and other parasites that express hsp 60 at high level.
Matsuzaki
G
G
Department of Immunology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
Hiromatsu
K
K
Yoshikai
Y
Y
Muramori
K
K
Nomoto
K
K
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D018834:Chaperonin 60; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta