Distinct antigen receptor repertoires of two classes of murine epithelium-associated T cells

• Published in: Nature (London) 1989-09, Vol.341 (6237), p.60-62
• Main Authors: Asarnow, David M, Goodman, Thomas, LeFrancois, Leo, Allison, James P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cellular biology; Dendritic Cells - physiology; Disease; Epidermis - immunology; Epithelium - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; Genetics; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immunobiology; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; letter; Lymphocytes; Lymphoid cells: ontogeny, maturation, markers, receptors, circulation and recirculation; Medical research; Mice; multidisciplinary; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - genetics; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); T-Lymphocytes - physiology
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/341060a0

TLYMPHOCYTES are found not only as recirculating cells in the lymphoid system, but also as immobile cells in certain epithelia. T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) of both α / β and γ / δ-heterodimer subtypes can exhibit an extremely high degree of diversity. The diversity of α / β TCRs derives from the use of a large number of variable (V) gene segments, as well as junctional diversity generated during rearrangement of these segments, whereas the diversity of γ / δ TCRs derives largely from junctional elements, with a smaller contribution from a limited number of V gene segments 1 . Many T cells in the epidermal and intestinal epithelia of mice express TCR composed of γ / δ heterodimers 2–5,14,15 . We demonstrate here that γ/δ TCRs of T cells in both these tissues are restricted in V gene usage, with different elements predominating. The TCR junctional diversity of epidermal T cells, however, is extremely limited, whereas that of intestinal T cells is extremely diverse. The distinctive features of these two populations suggest that they develop or are selected differently for particular tissue-specific functions.