title: Gammadelta T cells: functional plasticity and heterogeneity.
abstract: Gammadelta T cells remain an enigma. They are capable of generating more unique antigen receptors than alphabeta T cells and B cells combined, yet their repertoire of antigen receptors is dominated by specific subsets that recognize a limited number of antigens. A variety of sometimes conflicting effector functions have been ascribed to them, yet their biological function(s) remains unclear. On the basis of studies of gammadelta T cells in infectious and autoimmune diseases, we argue that gammadelta T cells perform different functions according to their tissue distribution, antigen-receptor structure and local microenvironment; we also discuss how and at what stage of the immune response they become activated.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK. S.R.Carding@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Carding
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019672:Genes, T-Cell Receptor; D006801:Humans; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta