Levitsky H I, Golumbek P T, Pardoll D M
Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
J Immunol. 1991 Feb 15;146(4):1113-7.
CD4-8- TCR-alpha beta+ thymocytes represent a distinct population whose fate and function have remained a mystery. We show here that this thymocyte subset bears NK1, a surface Ag previously thought to be expressed exclusively by TCR- NK cells. Analysis of peripheral lymphocytes for the coexpression of TCR-alpha beta and NK1 revealed a subset with similar characteristics to the NK1+ thymocytes: a large fraction that are CD4-8- and a skewed TCR repertoire in which V beta 8 is overrepresented. Thymus transplant experiments into congenically marked athymic (nude) mice revealed that the NK1+TCR alpha beta+ subset was exclusively thymus derived and represented a distinct subset from the thymus-independent NK1+TCR- population. Finally, the NK1+TCR alpha beta+ population preferentially localizes to the bone marrow. These results demonstrate that this T cell subset is exported to the periphery after developing in the thymus. Their unique surface Ag expression and tissue localization suggest an immune function distinct from classical T cells.
CD4 - 8 - TCR - αβ + 胸腺细胞代表了一个独特的群体，其命运和功能一直是个谜。我们在此表明，这个胸腺细胞亚群表达NK1，一种以前被认为仅由TCR - NK细胞表达的表面抗原。对外周淋巴细胞进行TCR - αβ和NK1共表达分析发现了一个与NK1 + 胸腺细胞具有相似特征的亚群：大部分为CD4 - 8 - ，并且TCR库存在偏差，其中Vβ8过度表达。将胸腺移植到基因标记的无胸腺（裸）小鼠中的实验表明，NK1 + TCRαβ + 亚群完全来源于胸腺，并且代表了一个与非胸腺依赖性NK1 + TCR - 群体不同的亚群。最后，NK1 + TCRαβ + 群体优先定位于骨髓。这些结果表明，这个T细胞亚群在胸腺中发育后输出到外周。它们独特的表面抗原表达和组织定位表明其具有与经典T细胞不同的免疫功能。
