gammadelta T cell subsets: a link between TCR and function?

Integrated Dept. of Immunology, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson St., Denver, CO 80206, United States; Univ. of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. obrienr@njhealth.org

Seminars in immunology 2010 Aug

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The gammadelta T lmphocytes are often divided into subsets based upon expression of certain TCR components. This division was initially made because gammadelta T cells residing in particular epithelia were found to show tissue specific differences in their TCRs. Many examples now show that gammadelta T cell subsets also appear to be biased to carry out particular functions. This suggests that particular gammadelta TCR types direct the cells to acquire a certain type of functional programming during thymic development. Here, we describe functionally distinct, TCR-defined gammadelta T cell subsets, and evidence that their functions are predetermined in the thymus. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.