The inter-relatedness and interdependence of mouse T cells receptor γ~δ and αβ~+ cells

摘要

Although T cell receptor (TCR)γδ~+ and TCRαβ~+ cells are commonly viewed as functionally independent, their relatedness and potential interdependence remain enigmatic. Here we have identified a gene profile that distinguishes mouse γδ cell populations from conventional αβ T cells. However, this profile was also expressed by sets of unconventional αβ T cells. Therefore, whereas TCR specificity determines the involvement of a T cell in an immune response, the cell's functional potential, as assessed by gene expression, does not segregate with the TCR. By monitoring the described gene profile, we show that γδ T cell development and function in TCFβ-deficient mice was impaired because of the absence of αβ T cell progenitors. Thus, normal γδ cell development is dependent on the development of conventional αβ T cells.