Activation features of intraepithelial gamma delta T-cells of the murine vagina.
The epithelium of the murine vagina contains a resident population of gamma delta T-cells that expresses a homogenous Vgamma4/Vdelta1 TCR lacking N-region junctional diversity, implying that these T-cells recognize a very limited array of antigenic structures. The vaginal gamma delta T-cells express a pattern of surface markers characteristic of memory/effector T-cells that have previously been activated. Although vaginal gamma delta T-cells do not express the major costimulatory molecules CD28 and CD2, they do proliferate in response to a systemically delivered anti gamma delta TCR stimulus. Vaginal gamma delta T-cells contain mRNA that encodes the keratinocyte growth factor raising the possibility that these cells play a role in the repair of vaginal epithelium following injury. While the antigen recognized by the vaginal gamma delta TCR is unknown, a model is proposed which attempts to relate some of the unusual phenotypic features of vaginal gamma delta T-cells to the physiological injury and shedding of vaginal epithelium that occurs during the estrous cycle.
Rakasz
E
E
Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Sandor
M
M
Hagen
M
M
Lynch
R G
RG
D000818:Animals; D018801:CD2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000276:immunology; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000276:immunology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D018801:CD2 Antigens; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D019041:L-Selectin; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens