Gene rearrangement in cells with natural killer activity and expression of the beta-chain of the T-cell antigen receptor.

The mammalian host defence system can be divided broadly into adaptive and non-adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity is acquired and is mediated by B and T lymphocytes. Non-adaptive immunity is mediated in part by a small subclass of heterogeneous peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This population, termed null cells, consists of haematopoietic precursors and cells mediating natural killer (NK) activity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). NK cells are a class of non-adherent, non-phagocytic, rapidly cytotoxic lymphocytes which can efficiently lyse a wide variety of tumour cells, virally infected cells and immature cell types of normal origin. Despite the broad range of targets, only a limited number of specificities are thought to be involved in target-cell recognition. Morphologically, NK cells are large granular lymphocytes, but they have been shown to exhibit cell-surface markers characteristic of both T cells and monocytes, raising doubt over their lineage. The recent cloning of the beta-chain of the T-cell antigen receptor has now allowed us to investigate whether some NK cells are T-cell-related. We have examined rearrangement and expression of the beta-chain of the T-cell receptor in cloned murine NK cell lines and fresh murine NK cell populations, and our results support the hypothesis that a subpopulation of NK cells is related to T cells and provide basis for examining whether some NK activity is mediated by a small number of T-cell receptors.