IL-4-producing gamma delta T cells that express a very restricted TCR repertoire are preferentially localized in liver and spleen.
IL-4-producing gamma delta thymocytes in normal mice belong to a distinct subset of gamma delta T cells characterized by low expression of Thy-1. This gamma delta thymocyte subset shares a number of phenotypic and functional properties with the NK T cell population. Thy-1dull gamma delta thymocytes in DBA/2 mice express a restricted repertoire of TCRs that are composed of the V gamma 1 gene product mainly associated with the V delta 6.4 chain and exhibit limited junctional sequence diversity. Using mice transgenic for a rearranged V gamma 1J gamma 4C gamma 4 chain and a novel mAb (9D3) specific for the V delta 6.3 and V delta 6.4 murine TCR delta chains, we have analyzed the peripheral localization and functional properties of gamma delta T cells displaying a similarly restricted TCR repertoire. In transgenic mice, IL-4 production by peripheral gamma delta T cells was confined to the gamma delta+9D3+ subset, which contains cells with a TCR repertoire similar to that found in Thy-1dull gamma delta thymocytes. In normal DBA/2 mice such cells represent close to half of the gamma delta T cells present in the liver and around 20% of the splenic gamma delta T cells.
Gerber
D J
DJ
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
Azuara
V
V
Levraud
J P
JP
Huang
S Y
SY
Lembezat
M P
MP
Pereira
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma