title: gammadelta and alphabeta T cell lineage choice: resolution by a stronger sense of being.
abstract: A common bipotent thymocyte precursor gives rise to both lineages of T cells, alphabeta and gammadelta. However, the cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence alphabeta- versus gammadelta-lineage bifurcation remain controversial. gammadelta T cells play a unique and vital role in host defense, from maintaining integrity at epithelial and mucosal barriers to their newly defined role as an important innate source of interleukin-17. Although a T cell receptor (TCR)-independent fate choice may take place, emerging data supports a model in which the differential signaling capacity of alphabeta and gammadeltaTCRs play an instructional role in specifying lineage fate, with strength of signal measured by the amount of ERK/MAPK pathway activation. Here we discuss how the interplay between intrinsic TCR signals and cell extrinsic signals provided by Notch and TCR ligands help to assign and support a final lineage fate decision.
authors.affiliation: Sunnybrook Research Institute, and Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N3M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Gladys W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zúñiga-Pflücker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta