title: Human gamma delta T cells recognize alkylamines derived from microbes, edible plants, and tea: implications for innate immunity.
abstract: Approximately 4% of peripheral blood T cells in humans express a T cell receptor with markedly restricted germline gene segment usage (V gamma 2 V delta 2). Remarkably, these T cells expand 2- to 10-fold (8%-60% of all circulating T cells) during many microbial infections. We show here that these T cells recognize a family of naturally occurring primary alkylamines in a TCR-dependent manner. These antigenic alkylamines are secreted to millimolar concentrations in bacterial supernatants and are found in certain edible plants. Given the large numbers of memory V gamma 2 V delta 2 T cells in adult humans, recognition of alkylamine antigens offers the immune system a response of the magnitude of major superantigens for alpha beta T cells and may bridge the gap between innate and adaptive immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jbukowski@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bukowski
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002999:Clone Cells; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005021:Ethylamines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000276:immunology*; D011511:Proteus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D005021:Ethylamines; D005971:Glutamates; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D013662:Tea; C026166:theanine