Cytotoxic differentiation of mouse gut thymodependent and independent intraepithelial T lymphocytes is induced locally. Correlation between functional assays, presence of perforin and granzyme transcripts, and cytoplasmic granules.

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Mouse gut intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), whether thymodependent (CD4+ or CD8 alpha/beta +; TCR-alpha/beta +) or thymoindependent (CD8 alpha/alpha +; TCR-alpha/beta + or -gamma/delta +), all display cytotoxic activity in a "redirected lysis assay" using anti-CD3 or anti-TCR beta or delta chains secreting hybridomas as targets; this is also observed with IEL of germ-free mice, indicating that this activity, which is absent in peripheral T lymphocytes, does not require stimulation by bacterial antigens. Perforin and granzyme transcripts are detectable in unselected gut IEL, in contrast to normal T lymphocytes of peripheral lymphoid organs. Cytological labeling (with [3H]DFP) of IEL smears reveals labeled granules (i.e., containing serine-esterases, presumably granzymes) in all subsets of gut IEL. This indicates that the gut micro-environment has an inductive role on the cytotoxic differentiation of lymphocytes of various origins when they reach the gut wall to become IEL.

This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit: