Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., Vol 10, No. 1, 01 1994, 79-84.
Selection of pulmonary CD4-, CD8-, alpha beta+ T cells expressing V beta 8 T cell receptors
R Rajasekar and A Augustin
Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO 80206.
The double negative (CD4-CD8-) alpha beta+ T cells constitute about 20% of
all alpha beta+ T cells in murine lungs. We find that in BALB/c mice 60% of
the double negative alpha beta+ pulmonary T cells express receptors of the
V beta 8 family whereas only 33% of single positive (CD4+/CD8+) pulmonary T
cells express V beta 8. However, in C57BL/6 mice, equal frequencies (25%)
of double negative and single positive alpha beta+ pulmonary T cells
express V beta 8. The high frequency of double negative V beta 8+ pulmonary
T cells is dominantly inherited in (C57BL/6 X BALB/c) F1 offsprings.
Further studies exclude the involvement of classic MHC region genes in
determining the level of V beta 8 usage among double negative pulmonary T
cells. Upon exposure to mycobacterial antigens, double negative alpha beta+
pulmonary T cells are co-enriched in vitro in parallel with gamma delta+ T
cells.
