title: Skint1, the prototype of a newly identified immunoglobulin superfamily gene cluster, positively selects epidermal gammadelta T cells.
abstract: B cells, alphabeta T cells and gammadelta T cells are conserved lymphocyte subtypes encoding their antigen receptors from somatically rearranged genes. alphabeta T cells undergo positive selection in the thymus by engagement of their T cell receptors (TCRs) with self-peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex molecules. The molecules that select gammadelta T cells are unknown. Vgamma5+Vdelta1+ cells comprise 90% of mouse epidermal gammadelta T cells. By mapping and genetic complementation using a strain showing loss of Vgamma5+Vdelta1+ cells due to a failure of thymic selection, we show that this defect is caused by mutation in Skint1, a newly identified gene expressed in thymus and skin that encodes a protein with immunoglobulin-like and transmembrane domains. Skint1 is the prototypic member of a rapidly evolving family of at least 11 genes in mouse, with greatest similarity to the butyrophilin genes. These findings define a new family of proteins mediating key epithelial-immune interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., SHM I-308, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Boyden
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Susannah D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Barbee
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bas
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hayday
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tigelaar
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Lifton
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology*; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006239:Haplotypes; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; C529023:Skint1 protein, mouse