Recognition of Butyrophilin-family Members by gamma-delta T Cells

Abstract

Human gamma-delta (gd) T cells can respond rapidly with cytotoxic responses to pathogenic infections and malignant cells. Although they are found at low numbers in peripheral blood, these might expand and constitute up to half of the total circulating T cells after infection. Most systemic gd T cells expressed a recombined heterodimeric T-cell receptor (TCR) with genes of the variable (V) g9 and d2 loci, termed Vg9Vd2 T cells. Opposed to conventional ab T cells that recognise processed peptides on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II and elicit delayed adaptive responses, gd T cells are innate-like T cells that recognise non-peptidic antigens akin to mucosal-associated invar..