title: Langerhans cells are not required for epidermal Vgamma3 T cell homeostasis and function.
abstract: This study tested the hypothesis that Vγ3 TCR-bearing T cells are influenced by LCs. Vγ3 T cells and LCs are located in the epidermis of mice. Vγ3 T cells represent the main T cell population in the skin epithelium and play a crucial role in maintaining the skin integrity, whereas LCs are professional APCs. Although Vγ3 T cells and LCs form an interdigitating network in the epidermis, not much is known about their reciprocal influence and/or interdependence. We used two different LC-deficient mouse models, in which LCs are constitutively or inducibly depleted, to investigate the role of LCs in maturation, homeostasis, and function of Vγ3 T cells. We show that Vγ3 T cell numbers are unaltered by LC deficiency, and Vγ3 T cells isolated from LC-deficient mice are phenotypically and upon in vitro stimulation, functionally indistinguishable from Vγ3 T cells isolated from WT mice based on their cytotoxic potential and cytokine production. Additionally, in vivo skin-wounding experiments show no major difference in response of Vγ3 T cells to wounding in the absence or presence of LCs. These observations indicate that Vγ3 T cells develop and function independently of LCs.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Immunology, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taveirne
authors.forename: Veerle
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Colvenaer
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Den Broeck
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Ammel
authors.forename: Clare L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taghon
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plum
authors.forename: Björn E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leclercq
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta