title: Ligand recognition during thymic development and gammadelta T cell function specification.
abstract: gammadelta T cells develop in the thymus before entering the periphery. Recent work suggests that thymic development does little to constrain gammadelta T cell antigen specificities, but instead determines their effector fate. When triggered through the T cell receptor, ligand-naïve gammadelta T cells produce IL-17, ligand-experienced cells make IFN-gamma and those that are strongly self-reactive make IL-4. Importantly, gammadelta T cells are able to make cytokines immediately upon TCR engagement. These characteristics allow gammadelta T cells to initiate an acute inflammatory response to pathogens and to host antigens revealed by injury. These advances warrant a fresh look at how gammadelta T cells may function in the immune system.
authors.affiliation: Program in Immunology, Beckman Building, 279 Campus Drive B253, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsiu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008024:Ligands; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta