title: Human gammadelta T cells produce the protease inhibitor and antimicrobial peptide elafin.
abstract: Human gammadelta T cells rapidly secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to T cell receptor-dependent recognition of pyrophosphates produced by many bacteria and parasites. In further support of an important role of gammadelta T cells in the immune defence against infection, human gammadelta T cells have been shown to produce the antimicrobial peptide LL37/cathelicidin. In this study, we have investigated whether gammadelta T cells can produce additional antimicrobial peptides. To this end, we have screened human gammadelta T cell clones by RT-PCR for mRNA expression of a broad range of antimicrobial peptides. While alpha-defensins were absent and beta-defensins (HBD1) present only in rare gammadelta T cell clones, elafin mRNA was induced by supernatant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown under static conditions. Elafin is a protease inhibitor that also displays antimicrobial activity. Constitutive intracellular expression of elafin was demonstrated by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Furthermore, trappin-2 (pre-elafin) could be immunoprecipitated in cell lysates but also in the supernatant of gammadelta T cells stimulated by Ps. aeruginosa supernatant. Taken together, our studies reveal a novel effector function of gammadelta T cells which might be important for local immune defence.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marischen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wesch
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wiedow
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kabelitz
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D053492:Elafin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D053492:Elafin; C506806:PI3 protein, human; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta