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TCR γ δ + cells are prominent in normal bovine skin and express a diverse repertoire of antigen receptors
Author(s) -
HEIN W. R.,
DUDLER L.
Publication year - 1997
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.1365-2567.1997.00224.x
Subject(s) - t cell receptor , biology , cd8 , dermis , antigen , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , epidermis (zoology) , immunology , t cell , anatomy , genetics , immune system
More than 80% of T cells in bovine skin localized in the superficial 0·5 mm of the dermis. Only 3% occurred within the epidermis or made contact with the stratum basale while the remainder occupied deeper dermal sites. The γδ T‐cell receptor (TCR) was expressed by 44% of T cells in skin and 39% and 35% expressed, respectively, the CD4 and CD8 markers. Some cells co‐expressed CD8 and the γδ TCR. A highly diverse repertoire of γδ TCR was expressed in skin due mainly to the usage of multiple V δ segments and to extensive sequence variation at the junctions of both TCR γ and TCR δ chains. However, a single receptor isotype was used. Transcripts encoding several new components of the bovine γδ TCR were identified, including three new V γ segments, the C γ 5 region and 13 new functional V δ segments. Taken together with earlier findings, these results emphasize that ruminant γδ T cells express exceptionally diverse antigen receptors and suggest they may have a more elaborate recognitive capacity than do their counterparts in other species.