Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Immunology logoLink to Immunology
. 1991 Apr;72(4):555–562.

Phenotypic heterogeneity of intraepithelial T lymphocytes from mouse small intestine.

K J Maloy 1, A M Mowat 1, R Zamoyska 1, I N Crispe 1
PMCID: PMC1384377  PMID: 2037315

Abstract

We have used two-colour flow cytometry to examine the heterogeneity of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) from mouse small intestine. We have confirmed the predominance of CD3+ Thy 1- CD8+ IEL and show that a substantial but variable proportion of CD8+ IEL does not express the alpha beta T-cell receptor (TcR) for antigen. Simultaneous analysis of the co-expression of the alpha and beta chains of the CD8 heterodimer and of the alpha beta TcR revealed three populations of CD8+IEL. The first of these expressed both CD8 alpha and beta chains and had normal expression of V beta families and so represented conventional CD8+ alpha beta TcR+ T cells. The second population comprised alpha beta TcR- T cells (presumed gamma delta TcR+) which expressed only the alpha chain of the CD8 molecule. Finally, we identified a second, unique population of alpha beta TcR+ CD8+ IEL which were also CD8 beta-. Gamma delta + IEL predominated in mice aged less than 8 weeks, but there was a rapid increase in both populations of alpha beta TcR+ CD8+ IEL in older mice. CD8+ IEL were similar to peripheral CD8+ T cells in having high expression of the CD45RB molecule, but CD4+ IEL had generally lower expression of CD45RB than their peripheral counterparts, despite having normal expression of TcR. These findings emphasize the heterogeneity of IEL and underline the need to study phenotypically defined populations.

Full text

PDF
555

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bandeira A., Mota-Santos T., Itohara S., Degermann S., Heusser C., Tonegawa S., Coutinho A. Localization of gamma/delta T cells to the intestinal epithelium is independent of normal microbial colonization. J Exp Med. 1990 Jul 1;172(1):239–244. doi: 10.1084/jem.172.1.239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bonneville M., Itohara S., Krecko E. G., Mombaerts P., Ishida I., Katsuki M., Berns A., Farr A. G., Janeway C. A., Jr, Tonegawa S. Transgenic mice demonstrate that epithelial homing of gamma/delta T cells is determined by cell lineages independent of T cell receptor specificity. J Exp Med. 1990 Apr 1;171(4):1015–1026. doi: 10.1084/jem.171.4.1015. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bottomly K., Luqman M., Greenbaum L., Carding S., West J., Pasqualini T., Murphy D. B. A monoclonal antibody to murine CD45R distinguishes CD4 T cell populations that produce different cytokines. Eur J Immunol. 1989 Apr;19(4):617–623. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830190407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P., Bosnes V., Halstensen T. S., Scott H., Sollid L. M., Valnes K. N. T lymphocytes in human gut epithelium preferentially express the alpha/beta antigen receptor and are often CD45/UCHL1-positive. Scand J Immunol. 1989 Jul;30(1):123–128. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1989.tb01196.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bucy R. P., Chen C. L., Cihak J., Lösch U., Cooper M. D. Avian T cells expressing gamma delta receptors localize in the splenic sinusoids and the intestinal epithelium. J Immunol. 1988 Oct 1;141(7):2200–2205. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Davies M. D., Parrott D. M. Preparation and purification of lymphocytes from the epithelium and lamina propria of murine small intestine. Gut. 1981 Jun;22(6):481–488. doi: 10.1136/gut.22.6.481. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. De Geus B., Van den Enden M., Coolen C., Nagelkerken L., Van der Heijden P., Rozing J. Phenotype of intraepithelial lymphocytes in euthymic and athymic mice: implications for differentiation of cells bearing a CD3-associated gamma delta T cell receptor. Eur J Immunol. 1990 Feb;20(2):291–298. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830200210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dembić Z., Haas W., Zamoyska R., Parnes J., Steinmetz M., von Boehmer H. Transfection of the CD8 gene enhances T-cell recognition. Nature. 1987 Apr 2;326(6112):510–511. doi: 10.1038/326510a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ferguson A. Intraepithelial lymphocytes of the small intestine. Gut. 1977 Nov;18(11):921–937. doi: 10.1136/gut.18.11.921. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Goodman T., Lefrançois L. Expression of the gamma-delta T-cell receptor on intestinal CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes. Nature. 1988 Jun 30;333(6176):855–858. doi: 10.1038/333855a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Groh V., Porcelli S., Fabbi M., Lanier L. L., Picker L. J., Anderson T., Warnke R. A., Bhan A. K., Strominger J. L., Brenner M. B. Human lymphocytes bearing T cell receptor gamma/delta are phenotypically diverse and evenly distributed throughout the lymphoid system. J Exp Med. 1989 Apr 1;169(4):1277–1294. doi: 10.1084/jem.169.4.1277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Halstensen T. S., Scott H., Brandtzaeg P. Human CD8+ intraepithelial T lymphocytes are mainly CD45RA-RB+ and show increased co-expression of CD45R0 in celiac disease. Eur J Immunol. 1990 Aug;20(8):1825–1830. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830200829. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Janeway C. A., Jr, Jones B., Hayday A. Specificity and function of T cells bearing gamma delta receptors. Immunol Today. 1988 Mar;9(3):73–76. doi: 10.1016/0167-5699(88)91267-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Janossy G., Bofill M., Rowe D., Muir J., Beverley P. C. The tissue distribution of T lymphocytes expressing different CD45 polypeptides. Immunology. 1989 Apr;66(4):517–525. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lefrancois L. Carbohydrate differentiation antigens of murine T cells: expression on intestinal lymphocytes and intestinal epithelium. J Immunol. 1987 May 15;138(10):3375–3384. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lefrancois L., Goodman T. In vivo modulation of cytolytic activity and Thy-1 expression in TCR-gamma delta+ intraepithelial lymphocytes. Science. 1989 Mar 31;243(4899):1716–1718. doi: 10.1126/science.2564701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Malizia G., Trejdosiewicz L. K., Wood G. M., Howdle P. D., Janossy G., Losowsky M. S. The microenvironment of coeliac disease: T cell phenotypes and expression of the T2 'T blast' antigen by small bowel lymphocytes. Clin Exp Immunol. 1985 May;60(2):437–446. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mowat A. M. Human intraepithelial lymphocytes. Springer Semin Immunopathol. 1990;12(2-3):165–190. doi: 10.1007/BF00197504. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parrott D. M., Tait C., MacKenzie S., Mowat A. M., Davies M. D., Micklem H. S. Analysis of the effector functions of different populations of mucosal lymphocytes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1983 Jun 30;409:307–320. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1983.tb26879.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Spencer J., Isaacson P. G., Diss T. C., MacDonald T. T. Expression of disulfide-linked and non-disulfide-linked forms of the T cell receptor gamma/delta heterodimer in human intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes. Eur J Immunol. 1989 Jul;19(7):1335–1338. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830190728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Spencer J., MacDonald T. T., Diss T. C., Walker-Smith J. A., Ciclitira P. J., Isaacson P. G. Changes in intraepithelial lymphocyte subpopulations in coeliac disease and enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma (malignant histiocytosis of the intestine). Gut. 1989 Mar;30(3):339–346. doi: 10.1136/gut.30.3.339. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Trejdosiewicz L. K., Smart C. J., Oakes D. J., Howdle P. D., Malizia G., Campana D., Boylston A. W. Expression of T-cell receptors TcR1 (gamma/delta) and TcR2 (alpha/beta) in the human intestinal mucosa. Immunology. 1989 Sep;68(1):7–12. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Verkasalo M. A., Arató A., Savilahti E., Tainio V. M. Effect of diet and age on jejunal and circulating lymphocyte subsets in children with coeliac disease: persistence of CD4-8-intraepithelial T cells through treatment. Gut. 1990 Apr;31(4):422–425. doi: 10.1136/gut.31.4.422. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Viney J. L., MacDonald T. T., Kilshaw P. J. Alpha beta T cell receptor expression in rat intestinal epithelium. Immunol Lett. 1989 Nov;23(1):49–53. doi: 10.1016/0165-2478(89)90154-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Viney J. L., MacDonald T. T., Kilshaw P. J. T-cell receptor expression in intestinal intra-epithelial lymphocyte subpopulations of normal and athymic mice. Immunology. 1989 Apr;66(4):583–587. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES