Human gamma delta T cells recognize alkylamines derived from microbes, edible plants, and tea: implications for innate immunity

Approximately 4% of peripheral blood T cells in humans express a T cell receptor with markedly restricted germline gene segment usage (V gamma 2 V delta 2). Remarkably, these T cells expand 2- to 10-fold (8%-60% of all circulating T cells) during many microbial infections. We show here that these T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Immunity (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 1999-07, Vol.11 (1), p.57-65
Main Authors: Bukowski, J F, Morita, C T, Brenner, M B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amines - chemistry
Amines - immunology
Amines - metabolism
Antigens, Bacterial - immunology
Antigens, Bacterial - metabolism
Bacteroides fragilis - immunology
Bacteroides fragilis - metabolism
Cell Line, Transformed
Clone Cells
Clostridium perfringens - immunology
Clostridium perfringens - metabolism
Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte - immunology
Ethylamines - chemistry
Ethylamines - immunology
Ethylamines - metabolism
Glutamates - chemistry
Glutamates - immunology
Glutamates - metabolism
Humans
Immunity, Cellular
Immunity, Innate
Plants, Edible - immunology
Proteus - immunology
Proteus - metabolism
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta - immunology
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta - physiology
T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism
T-Lymphocyte Subsets - microbiology
Tea - chemistry
Tea - immunology
Tea - metabolism
Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Summary:Approximately 4% of peripheral blood T cells in humans express a T cell receptor with markedly restricted germline gene segment usage (V gamma 2 V delta 2). Remarkably, these T cells expand 2- to 10-fold (8%-60% of all circulating T cells) during many microbial infections. We show here that these T cells recognize a family of naturally occurring primary alkylamines in a TCR-dependent manner. These antigenic alkylamines are secreted to millimolar concentrations in bacterial supernatants and are found in certain edible plants. Given the large numbers of memory V gamma 2 V delta 2 T cells in adult humans, recognition of alkylamine antigens offers the immune system a response of the magnitude of major superantigens for alpha beta T cells and may bridge the gap between innate and adaptive immunity.
ISSN:1074-7613
DOI:10.1016/S1074-7613(00)80081-3