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Multifunctional immune responses of HMBPP-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in M. tuberculosis and other infections

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 10, pages 58–64 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Vγ2Vδ2 T (also known as Vγ9Vδ2 T) cells exist only in primates, and in humans represent a major γδ T-cell sub-population in the total population of circulating γδ T cells. Results from recent studies suggest that while (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP) phosphoantigen from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and other microbes activates and expands primate Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, the Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell receptor (TCR) recognizes and binds to HMBPP on antigen-presenting cells (APC). In response to HMBPP stimulus, Vγ2Vδ2 TCRs array to form signaling-related nanoclusters or nanodomains during the activation of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells. Primary infections with HMBPP-producing pathogens drive the evolution of multieffector functional responses in Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, although Vγ2Vδ2 T cells display different patterns of responses during the acute and chronic phases of Mtb infection and in other infections. Expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in primary Mtb infection can exhibit a broader TCR repertoire and a greater clonal response than previously assumed, with different distribution patterns of Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell clones in lymphoid and non-lymphoid compartments. Emerging in vivo data suggest that HMBPP activation of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells appears to impact other immune cells during infection.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the Chen Lab staff for technical support and suggestions. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health R01 grants HL64560 and RR13601 (both to ZWC).

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Primate Biomedical Research, University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, Chicago, 60612, IL, USA

    Zheng W Chen

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Chen, Z. Multifunctional immune responses of HMBPP-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in M. tuberculosis and other infections. Cell Mol Immunol 10, 58–64 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2012.46

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