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International Immunology, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 111-117, January 2004
© 2004 Japanese Society for Immunology

Functionally active CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in athymic nu/nu mice

Yoshiko Emoto1, Masashi Emoto1,2, Mamiko Miyamoto1, Izumi Yoshizawa1 and Stefan H. E. Kaufmann1

1 Department of Immunology, Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Schumannstrasse 21/22,10117 Berlin, Germany 2 Present address: Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Laboratory Sciences, Gunma University School of Health Sciences, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan

The first two authors contributed equally to this work
Correspondence to: M. Emoto; E-mail: emoto{at}mpiib-berlin.mpg.de
Transmitting editor: H. R. MacDonald

Murine intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) encompass a high proportion of TCR{gamma}{delta} cells. A vast majority of these TCR{gamma}{delta} IEL express CD8{alpha}, but not CD8ß (CD8{alpha}{alpha} homodimer), and are considered to develop in intestinal epithelial layers independently of a functional thymus. Here we show that TCR{gamma}{delta} cells expressing both CD8{alpha} and CD8ß (CD8{alpha}ß heterodimer) appear in athymic nu/nu mice, although their appearance is random. The IEL comprising CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} cells expressed pronounced cytolytic and IFN-{gamma}-producing activities after TCR{gamma}{delta} ligation, which were markedly stronger than activities of IEL lacking CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} cells. Purified CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} cells expressed strong cytolytic activities and produced large quantities of IFN-{gamma} after TCR engagement. CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} cells were also identified among IEL from euthymic C57BL/6 mice, although their abundance varied among individual animals. However, cytolytic and IFN-{gamma}-producing activities in euthymic C57BL/6 mice were markedly lower than those in athymic nu/nu mice. Our findings suggest that CD8{alpha}ß+ TCR{gamma}{delta} cells can develop in the intestine independently of a functional thymus/thymic epithelial cells and that they perform biological functions in situ.

Keywords: cytotoxic T lymphocyte, IFN-{gamma}, intestine, nude mouse, thymus independent


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