Abstract
The vast majority of mature T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and lymphoid organs use the CD3-associated α,βT-cell receptor (TCR) heterodimer for antigen recognition1–3. A second class of TCRs consists of disiilphide-linked γ and δ proteins that are also CD3-associated4–7. A subset of early CD3+ fetal and adult CD4− 8− thymocytes express γ,δ TCRs before α, β TCRs are detectable7–10. In addition, a minor (1–5%) subpopulation of peripheral T lymphocytes4,11,12, and some spleen cells from nude mice13 express γ,δ TCRs. Notably, dendritic epidermal cells have also been shown to express γ,δ TCRs14,15. All of these populations lack CD4 and CDS molecules. We now report that most mature T cells residing in the murine intestinal epithelium express CD3-associated TCRs composed of γ-chains distilphide-linked to a protein resembling the δ-chain. The striking feature of these intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was that they were exclusively CD4−8+. In addition, approximately half of CD3-bearing IEL lacked detectable Thy-1 on the cell surface, which is unprecedented for murine T cells. In contrast to other CD8+ peripheral T cells, freshly isolated IEL could be induced to display cytolytic activity by engaging the CD3 molecule, indicating that activation had occurred in vivo. Thus, CD8+ IEL are a phenotypically diverse and anatomically restricted population of lymphocytes that use γ-chain containing heterodimers for antigen recognition.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hedrick, S. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 531–535 (1985).
Kronenberg, M. et al. Nature 313, 647–653 (1985).
Marrack, P. & Kappler, J. Adv. Immun. 38, 1–30 (1986).
Brenner, M. B. et al. Nature 322, 145–149 (1986).
Bank, I. et al. Nature 322, 179–181 (1986).
Weiss, A., Newton, M. & Crommie, D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 6998–7002 (1986).
Lew, A. M. et al. Science 234, 1401–1405 (1986).
Pardoll, D. M. et al. Nature 326, 79–81 (1987).
Bluestone, J. A., Pardoll, D., Sharrow, S. O. & Fowlkes, B. J. Nature 326, 82–84 (1987).
Nakanishi, N., Maeda, K., Ito, K., Heller, M. & Tonegawa, S. Nature 326, 770–773 (1987).
Lanier, L. & Weiss, A. Nature 324, 268–270 (1986).
Lanier, L. et al. J. exp. Med. 165, 1076–1094 (1987).
Yoshikara, Y., Reis, M. D. & Mak, T. W. Nature 324, 482–485 (1986).
Koning, F. et al. Science 236, 834–837 (1987).
Stingl, G. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4586–4590 (1987).
Lefrancois, L., J. Immun. 138, 3375–3384 (1987).
Petit, A. et al. Eur. J. Immun. 15, 211–216 (1985).
Parrot, D. et al. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 409, 307–320 (1983).
Lefrancois, L. & Bevan, M. J. Nature 314, 449–452 (1984).
Leo, O., Foo, M., Sachs, D. H., Samelson, L. E. & Bluestone, J. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 1374–1378 (1987).
Staerz, U., Kanagawa, O. & Bevan, M. J. Nature 314, 628–631 (1985).
Behlke, M. et al. J. exp. Med. 165, 257–262 (1987).
Ernst, P. B. et al. Eur. J. Immun. 15, 216–221 (1985).
Klein, J. R. J. exp. Med. 164, 309–314 (1986).
Ernst, P. B., Clark, D. A., Rosenthal, K. L., Befus, A. D. & Bienenstock, J. J. Immun. 136, 2121–2126 (1986).
Klein, J. R. & Kagnoff, M. F. J. exp. Med. 160, 1391–1936 (1984).
Leo, O. et al. J. Immun. 137, 3874–3880 (1986).
Brenner, M. B. et al. Nature 325, 689–694 (1987).
Borst, J. et al. Nature 325, 683–688 (1987).
Moingeon, P. et al. Nature 325, 723–726 (1987).
Reinherz, E. Nature 325, 660–663 (1987).
Matis, L. A., Cron, R. & Bluestone, J. A. Nature 330, 262–264 (1987).
Lefrancois, L. J. Immun. 139, 2220–2229 (1987).
Cerf-Bensussan, N., Quaroni, A., Kurnick, J. T. & Bhan, A. K. J. Immun. 132, 2244–2252 (1984).
Markwell, M. A. K. & Fox, C. F. Biochemistry 17, 4807–4817 (1978).
Oettgen, H. C., Pettey, C. L., Maloy, W. L. & Terhorst, C. Nature 320, 272–275 (1986).
Wysocki, L. J. & Sato, V. L. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 2844–2848 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goodman, ., Lefrançois, L. Expression of the γ-δ T-cell receptor on intestinal CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes. Nature 333, 855–858 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/333855a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/333855a0
This article is cited by
-
Innate lymphoid cells and innate-like T cells in cancer — at the crossroads of innate and adaptive immunity
Nature Reviews Cancer (2023)
-
γδ T cells: origin and fate, subsets, diseases and immunotherapy
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (2023)
-
The transcription factor LRF promotes integrin β7 expression by and gut homing of CD8αα+ intraepithelial lymphocyte precursors
Nature Immunology (2022)
-
Butyrophilin-like proteins display combinatorial diversity in selecting and maintaining signature intraepithelial γδ T cell compartments
Nature Communications (2020)
-
Ligand recognition by the γδ TCR and discrimination between homeostasis and stress conditions
Cellular & Molecular Immunology (2020)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
