Mechanisms underlying lineage commitment and plasticity of human gamma delta T cells

Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity are the hallmarks of effector and memory T cells. Upon antigen stimulation, gamma delta T cells differentiate into two major types of memory T cells: central memory cells, which patrol the blood and secondary lymphoid organs, and effector memory cells, which m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cellular & molecular immunology 2013-01, Vol.10 (1), p.30-34
Main Authors: Caccamo, N, Todaro, M, Sireci, G, Meraviglia, S, Stassi, G, Dieli, F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Blood
CD4 antigen
Cell migration
Cytokines
Effector cells
Follicles
Immune response (humoral)
Immunological memory
Inflammation
Lymph nodes
Lymphocytes B
Lymphocytes T
Memory cells
Reviews
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Summary:Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity are the hallmarks of effector and memory T cells. Upon antigen stimulation, gamma delta T cells differentiate into two major types of memory T cells: central memory cells, which patrol the blood and secondary lymphoid organs, and effector memory cells, which migrate to peripheral tissues. gamma delta T cells display in vitro a certain degree of plasticity in their function that is reminiscent of that which is observed in conventional CD4 T cells. Similar to CD4 T cells, in which a plethora of specialized subsets affect the host response, gamma delta T cells may readily and rapidly assume distinct Th1-, Th2-, Th17-, Tfh and T regulatory-like effector functions, suggesting that they profoundly influence cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. In addition to differences in cytokine repertoire, gamma delta T cells exhibit diversity in homing, such as migration to lymph node follicles, to help B cells versus migration to inflamed tissues. Here, we review our current understanding of gamma delta T-cell lineage heterogeneity and flexibility, with an emphasis on the human system, and propose a classification of effector gamma delta T cells based on distinct functional phenotypes.
ISSN:1672-7681
DOI:10.1038/cmi.2012.42