Importance of murine Vδ1+γδ T cells expressing interferon‐γ and interleukin‐17A in innate protection against Listeria monocytogenes infection

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Abstract
Murine γδ T cells participate in the innate immune response against infection by an intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Vδ1+γδ T cells coexpressing Vγ6 are a major γδ T-cell subpopulation induced at an early stage of L. monocytogenes infection in the livers of infected mice. To investigate the protective role of the Vγ6/Vδ1+γδ T cells against L. monocytogenes infection, Vδ1 gene-deficient (Vδ1−/−) mice were analysed because these mice selectively lacked a Vγ6/Vδ1+γδ T-cell subpopulation in the L. monocytogenes-infected liver. The Vδ1−/− mice showed increased bacterial burden in the liver and spleen, and decreased survival rate at an early stage of L. monocytogenes infection when compared to wild-type mice. Histological examination showed abscess-like lesions and unorganized distribution of macrophages in the liver of the Vδ1−/− mice but not in the wild-type mice after L. monocytogenes infection. The Vγ6/Vδ1+γδ T cells produced interferon-γ and interleukin-17A. All the results suggest that murine Vγ6/Vδ1+γδ T cells control the innate protective response against L. monocytogenes infection through production of the proinflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-17A in the infected liver.