Origins of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes: direct evidence for a thymus-derived gamma delta T cell component


Bagriacik E. Ü., Okabe M., Klein J.

IMMUNOLOGY LETTERS, vol.75, no.1, pp.77-83, 2000 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 75 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2000
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/s0165-2478(00)00275-3
  • Journal Name: IMMUNOLOGY LETTERS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.77-83
  • Keywords: T cells, mucosal lymphocytes, hematopoiesis, MURINE SMALL-INTESTINE, ATHYMIC MICE, MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES, FETAL INTESTINE, RECEPTOR, EXPRESSION, PROGENITORS, EPITHELIUM, ONTOGENY, CHIMERAS
  • Gazi University Affiliated: No

Abstract

The contribution of T cell precursors from the thymus and the bone marrow to the pool of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) has been studied in a system using donor cells from enhanced-green fluorescent protein (EGFP(+)) transgenic mice adoptively transferred into EGFP(-) recipient mice. Consistent with previous studies, regeneration of gamma delta and alpha beta T cell populations in the intestinal epithelium occurred within 2-3 weeks of bone marrow transfer into irradiatiated EGFP(-) animals and prior to T cell repopulation of the spleen, of interest, however, although transfer of whole adult EGFP(+) thymocytes to non-irradiated EGFP(-) congenitally-athymic nude mice produced alpha beta T cells in both the spleen and intestine, gamma delta T cells in significant numbers were detected only in the intestine of recipient mice. In contrast, transfer of CD3(-), CD4(-), CD8(-) immature thymocytes resulted in no detectable T cells in either the intestine or the spleen of nude mice up to twelve weeks post-cell transfer, suggesting that intestinal IELs generated from thymocytes arose from differentiated lineage-committed cells rather than from immature thymocytes. These findings provide direct evidence for both thymus-independent and thymus-dependent sources of intestinal gamma delta T cells, and they suggest that intestinal IELs generated from thymocytes arose from differentiated lineage-committed cells rather than from immature thymocytes. These findings provide direct evidence for both thymus-independent and thymus-dependent sources of intestinal gamma delta T cells, and they suggest that murine IELs consist of diverse groups of T cells with distinct developmental origins. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.