Role of a distinct population of bovine gamma delta T cells in the immune response to viral agents.

A distinct population of bovine gamma delta T cells was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)-vaccinated cattle; these lymphocytes were shown to exert a natural killer-like activity against cells infected by different viruses. The antiviral activity was dependent upon cognate recognition of target cells and could operate by both cytostatic and cytotoxic mechanisms. Among these, secretion of a serine esterase was shown after binding to target cells. This population of bovine gamma delta T cells is recognized by murine monoclonal antibodies 1E7, 5D4, and 6F9, raised in our laboratory. To define an in vivo antiviral role, four heifers were infected with a strain of bovid herpesvirus 1 by the intranasal/intravaginal routes and contact exposure. The prevalence of 1E7+/5D4+ cells among peripheral blood lymphocytes increased dramatically in the first days after infection; the same held true for in-contact cattle, albeit with a different time kinetics. In another experiment, colonization of mucosae was demonstrated by immunoperoxidase staining on tongue and palate sections of healthy cattle. The infiltration of gamma delta T cells altogether in the palate mucosa was much more accentuated in foot-and-mouth disease-vaccinated, as compared to nonvaccinated, control calves.