Mouse TCRalphabeta+CD8alphaalpha intraepithelial lymphocytes express genes that down-regulate their antigen reactivity and suppress immune responses.
Mouse small intestine intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) that express alphabetaTCR and CD8alphaalpha homodimers are an enigmatic T cell subset, as their specificity and in vivo function remain to be defined. To gain insight into the nature of these cells, we performed global gene expression profiling using microarray analysis combined with real-time quantitative PCR and flow cytometry. Using these methods, TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alphaalpha IEL were compared with their TCRalphabeta(+)CD8beta(+) and TCRgammadelta(+) counterparts. Interestingly, TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alphaalpha IEL were found to preferentially express genes that would be expected to down-modulate their reactivity. They have a unique expression pattern of members of the Ly49 family of NK receptors and tend to express inhibitory receptors, along with some activating receptors. The signaling machinery of both TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alphaalpha and TCRgammadelta(+) IEL is constructed differently than other IEL and peripheral T cells, as evidenced by their low-level expression of the linker for activation of T cells and high expression of the non-T cell activation linker, which suppresses T cell activation. The TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alphaalpha IEL subset also has increased expression of genes that could be involved in immune regulation, including TGF-beta(3) and lymphocyte activation gene-3. Collectively, these data underscore the fact that, while TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alphaalpha IEL resemble TCRgammadelta(+) IEL, they are a unique population of cells with regulated Ag reactivity that could have regulatory function.
Denning
Timothy L
TL
Division of Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. tdennin@emory.chu
Granger
Steve W
SW
Granger
Steve
S
Mucida
Daniel
D
Graddy
Ryan
R
Leclercq
Georges
G
Zhang
Weiguo
W
Honey
Karen
K
Rasmussen
Jeffrey P
JP
Cheroutre
Hilde
H
Rudensky
Alexander Y
AY
Kronenberg
Mitchell
M
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007109:Immunity / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D016827:CD8 Antigens; C409469:CD8 antigen, alpha chain; C488163:LAT2 protein, mouse; D011506:Proteins; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta