Homeostatic regulation of intestinal epithelia by intraepithelial gamma delta T cells.

作者：Hajime Komano, Yoshihisa Fujiura, M. Kawaguchi, Satoshi Matsumoto, Yukio Hashimoto, Seiichi OBANA, Peter Mombaerts, Susumu Tonegawa, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shigeyoshi Itohara · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：1995 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.92.13.6147 · 被引用次数：362 · 研究领域：Immune Cell Function and Interaction、Pharmacological Effects of Natural Compounds、T-cell and B-cell Immunology

Although T cells bearing gamma delta T-cell receptors have long been known to be present in the epithelial lining of many organs, their specificity and function remain elusive. In the present study, we examined the intestinal epithelia of T-cell-receptor mutant mice, which were deficient in either gamma delta T cells or alpha beta T cells, and of normal littermates. The absence of gamma delta T cells was associated with a reduction in epithelial cell turnover and a downregulation of the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules. No such effects were observed in alpha beta T-cell-deficient mice. These findings indicate that intraepithelial gamma delta T cells regulate the generation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.