Cutting edge: Intrinsic programming of thymic γδT cells for specific peripheral tissue localization.
Various innate-like T cell subsets preferentially reside in specific epithelial tissues as the first line of defense. However, mechanisms regulating their tissue-specific development are poorly understood. Using the prototypical skin intraepithelial γδT cells (sIELs) as a model, we show in this study that a TCR-mediated selection plays an important role in promoting acquisition of a specific skin-homing property by fetal thymic sIEL precursors for their epidermal location, and the skin-homing potential is intrinsically programmed even before the selection. In addition, once localized in the skin, the sIEL precursors develop into sIELs without the requirement of further TCR-ligand interaction. These studies reveal that development of the tissue-specific lymphocytes is a hard-wired process that targets them to specific tissues for proper functions.
Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Yan
Y
Jin
Mingcan
M
Xia
Christina M
CM
Saylor
Kavitha
K
Narayan
Joonsoo
J
Kang
David L
DL
Wiest
Yanming
Y
Wang
Na
N
Xiong
D000818:Animals; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta