Gamma delta T cells respond directly to pathogen-associated molecular patterns

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 174; no. 10; pp. 6045 - 6053
• Main Authors: Hedges, Jodi F, Lubick, Kirk J, Jutila, Mark A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15.05.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; Chemokines - biosynthesis; Chemokines - genetics; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte - genetics; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte - immunology; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Lymphocyte Activation - genetics; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Peptidoglycan - pharmacology; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta - biosynthesis; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - microbiology; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 0022-1767
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.10.6045

Gammadelta T cells recognize unprocessed or non-peptide Ags, respond rapidly to infection, and localize to mucosal surfaces. We have hypothesized that the innate functions of gammadelta T cells may be more similar to those of cells of the myeloid lineage than to other T cells. To begin to test this assumption, we have analyzed the direct response of cultured human and peripheral blood bovine gammadelta T cells to pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in the absence of APCs using microarray, real-time RT-PCR, proteome array, and chemotaxis assays. Our results indicate that purified gammadelta T cells respond directly to PAMPs by increasing expression of chemokine and activation-related genes. The response was distinct from that to known gammadelta T cell Ags and different from the response of myeloid cells to PAMPs. In addition, we have analyzed the expression of a variety of PAMP receptors in gammadelta T cells. Freshly purified bovine gammadelta T cells responded more robustly to PAMPs than did cultured human cells and expressed measurable mRNA encoding a variety of PAMP receptors. Our results suggest that rapid response to PAMPs through the expression of PAMP receptors may be another innate role of gammadelta T cells.