(Nature Publishing Group, 2015) Rezende, Rafael; da Cunha, Andre P.; Kuhn, Chantal; Rubino, Stephen; M'Hamdi, Hanane; Gabriely, Galina; Vandeventer, Tyler; Liu, Shirong; Cialic, Ron; Pinheiro-Rosa, Natalia; Oliveira, Rafael P.; Gaublomme, Jellert T.; Obholzer, Nikolaus; Kozubek, James; Pochet, Nathalie; Faria, Ana M. C.; Weiner, Howard
γδ T cells are a subset of lymphocytes specialized in protecting the host against pathogens and tumours. Here we describe a subset of regulatory γδ T cells that express the latency-associated peptide (LAP), a membrane-bound TGF-β1. Thymic CD27+IFN-γ+CCR9+α4β7+TCRγδ+ cells migrate to the periphery, particularly to Peyer's patches and small intestine lamina propria, where they upregulate LAP, downregulate IFN-γ via ATF-3 expression and acquire a regulatory phenotype. TCRγδ+LAP+ cells express antigen presentation molecules and function as antigen presenting cells that induce CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells, although TCRγδ+LAP+ cells do not themselves express Foxp3. Identification of TCRγδ+LAP+ regulatory cells provides an avenue for understanding immune regulation and biologic processes linked to intestinal function and disease.
