BioProject

The murine thymus produces discrete γδ T cell subsets making either IFN-γ or IL-17, but the role of the TCR in this developmental process remains controversial. More...

The murine thymus produces discrete γδ T cell subsets making either IFN-γ or IL-17, but the role of the TCR in this developmental process remains controversial. Here we generated a non-transgenic and polyclonal model of reduced TCR expression and signal strength selectively on γδ T cells. Mice haploinsufficient for both CD3γ and CD3δ (CD3DH) showed normal αβ thymocyte subsets but specific defects in γδ T cell development, namely impaired differentiation of IL-17-producing embryonic Vγ6+ (but not adult Vγ4+) γδ T cells and a marked depletion of IFN-γ-producing CD122+ NK1.1+ (Vγ1-biased) γδ T cells throughout life. As result, adult CD3DH mice showed defective peripheral IFN-γ responses and were resistant to experimental cerebral malaria. Thus, strong TCR signaling is required within specific developmental windows with distinct Vγ usage and differential cytokine production by effector γδ T cell subsets. Overall design: We investigated the transcriptional changes associated with reduced TCRγδ signaling in the CD3DH model. Transcriptome-wide analysis of FACS-purified CD3DH or WT γδ thymocytes from E18 or 6-week was carried looking for patterns of gene expression during ontogeny Less...