Sergio Roman-Roman

The T-cell receptor Vδ genes predominantly used by human peripheral γ/δ+ T lymphocytes are not rearranged in CD3− natural killer cells

Abstract We have analyzed, in 19 CD3 − natural killer cells clones, the genomic organization of the T-cell receptor δ locus with two distinct Vδ probes, Vδ1 and Vδ2. These two Vδ genes code for surface proteins expressed in more than 90% of peripheral blood T-cell receptor γ/δ + lymphocytes, as shown by double color immunofluorescence analysis with anti-TCRδ1, anti-BB3, and anti-δTCS1 monoclonal antibodies. The Vδ1 and Vδ2 genes were found to be in germline position in all these clones, which are distinct phenotypically and represent a variety of the corresponding peripheral natural killer cell populations. We also studied in these cloned cell lines the transcriptional activity of the T-cell receptor δ locus with a Cδ probe: short transcript (1.7 and 0.8 kb) were found exclusively. These experiments further suggest that CD3 − natural killer peripheral cells are likely to constitute a unique lineage distinct from T lymphocytes.