title: Gamma delta T cell homeostasis is controlled by IL-7 and IL-15 together with subset-specific factors.
abstract: Among T cell subsets, gamma delta T cells uniquely display an Ag receptor-based tissue distribution, but what defines their preferential homing and homeostasis is unknown. To address this question, we studied the resources that control gamma delta T cell homeostasis in secondary lymphoid organs. We found that gamma delta and alpha beta T cells are controlled by partially overlapping resources, because acute homeostatic proliferation of gamma delta T cells was inhibited by an intact alpha beta T cell compartment, and both populations were dependent on IL-7 and IL-15. Significantly, to undergo acute homeostatic proliferation, gamma delta T cells also required their own depletion. Thus, gamma delta T cell homeostasis is maintained by trophic cytokines commonly used by other types of lymphoid cells, as well as by additional, as yet unidentified, gamma delta-specific factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. rbaccala@scripps.edu
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baccala
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Witherden
authors.forename: Rosana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Quintial
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Surh
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Havran
authors.forename: Argyrios N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Theofilopoulos
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D006706:Homeostasis; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D015851:Interleukin-7; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta