Most human thymic and peripheral-blood CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells express 2 T-cell receptors

Blood. 2006 Dec 15;108(13):4063-70. doi: 10.1182/blood-2006-04-016105. Epub 2006 Aug 22.

Abstract

Lack of allelic exclusion in the T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha locus gives rise to 2 different TCRs in 10% to 30% of all mature T cells, but the significance of such dual specificity remains controversial. Here we show that human CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells express 2 distinct Valpha chains and thus 2 TCRs at least 3 times as often as other T cells. Extrapolating from flow cytometric analysis using Valpha2-, Valpha12-, and Valpha24-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), we estimated that between 50% and 99% of the CD25+ Treg cells were dual specific, as compared with about 20% of their CD25- counterparts. Moreover, both TCRs were equally capable of transmitting signals upon ligation. Cells with 2 TCRs also expressed more FOXP3, the Treg-cell lineage specification factor, than cells with a single TCR. Our findings suggest that expression of 2 TCRs favors differentiation to the Treg-cell lineage in humans and raise the question of the potential functional consequences of dual specificity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry / methods
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Thymus Gland / cytology
  • Thymus Gland / immunology*
  • Thymus Gland / metabolism

Substances

  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta