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Development of CD8α/β + TCRαβ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in athymic nu/nu mice and participation in regional immune responses
Author(s) -
EMOTO M.,
EMOTO Y.,
KAUFMANN S. H. E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1996.d01-696.x
Subject(s) - intraepithelial lymphocyte , t cell receptor , cd8 , biology , flow cytometry , cytotoxic t cell , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , t lymphocyte , immunology , population , cd3 , t cell , medicine , genetics , environmental health , in vitro
On the basis of the CD8 coreceptor expression, T‐cell receptor (TCR)αβ‐bearing intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (i‐IEL) segregate into two populations. The CD8αα + TCRαβ i‐IEL develop thymus independently, whereas the CD8αβ + TCRαβ i‐IEL are generally considered to be thymus dependent. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a distinct population of CD8αβ + TCRαβ i‐IEL in individual athymic nu/nu mice. The i‐IEL encompassing CD8αβ + TCRαβ cells expressed potent cytolytic and interferon‐γ‐producing activities. These findings demonstrate that CD8αβ + TCRαβ i‐IEL can develop in nu/nu mice independently from a functional thymus and suggest that these cells, directly or indirectly, perform biological functions in the gut.