Biology of murine gamma delta T cells.

Murine lymphocytes express either a T-cell receptor alpha beta or a gamma delta heterodimer. The function of alpha beta cells are well characterized, while gamma delta cells remain an enigmatic population. In the mouse, gamma delta cells appear in significant proportions in the epithelia of various nonlymphoid tissues such as the skin, intestine, tongue, lung, and reproductive organs. While gamma delta T-cell subsets with distinct antigen receptor repertoires are associated with certain organs, diversified populations of gamma delta cells showing heterogeneous TCR phenotypes, as a result of junctional region diversification and usage of different V chains, can be found in the lymphoid organs and in the intestinal epithelia. Recent evidence has shown that gamma delta cells might recognize heat shock proteins, possibly in association with classical and nonpolymorphic MHC molecules. Together with their tissue distribution, gamma delta cells may represent the first line of defense of the immune system. gamma delta Cells are the first T cells to colonize the thymus. Intriguingly, there is more evidence to support the hypothesis that they might also affect the development of alpha beta cells and other hematopoietic stem cells.