Human CD4-8- -derived clones. Phenotypic and functional characteristics and variation between donors in patterns of T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangements.

Clones were derived from highly purified human CD4-8- lymphocytes from three different donors and maintained in the presence of interleukin 2 and phytohaemagglutinin. Considerable variation was noted between donors in the phenotype and T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma gene rearrangements of CD4-8- -derived clones. In one donor, most clones remained CD4-8- and all were CD3+WT31- and therefore expressed gamma/delta heterodimers. TCR gamma gene rearrangements almost all involved C gamma 1. In contrast, most clones from a second donor were CD3+WT31+, and therefore expressed alpha/beta heterodimers, and many were positive for CD4 or CD8. Most clones from a third donor were CD3+WT31- with a high proportion of TCR gamma gene rearrangements involving C gamma 2. The V gamma 9JP rearrangement was exclusively confined to CD3+WT31- clones and was present in the majority of clones. Almost all CD3+WT31- clones showed TCR beta as well as gamma gene rearrangements. Most CD3+WT31- clones with at least one chromosome rearranged to C gamma 1 exhibited high non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytotoxic activity, while most of those with two C gamma 2 rearrangements, and therefore expressing a non-disulphide-linked gamma/delta heterodimer, had low activity. Preincubation of effector cells with anti-CD3 strongly inhibited the cytotoxicity of CD3+WT31- clones while that of CD3+WT31+ clones was enhanced. This implicates the CD3-gamma/delta complex in target cell recognition by cytotoxic gamma/delta-bearing T-cell clones. The results show that there is heterogeneity between donors in the relative proportions of CD4-8- -derived clones expressing alpha/beta heterodimers and the different forms of the gamma/delta heterodimer.