The TCR ligand-inducible expression of CD73 marks γδ lineage commitment and a metastable intermediate in effector specification

Francis Coffey, Sang Yun Lee, Terkild B. Buus, Jens Peter Holst Lauritsen, Gladys W. Wong, Michelle L. Joachims, Linda F. Thompson, Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker, Dietmar J. Kappes, David L. Wiest

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

Numerous studies indicate that γδ T cell receptor (γδTCR) expression alone does not reliably mark commitment of early thymic progenitors to the γδ fate. This raises the possibility that the γδTCR is unable to intrinsically specify fate and instead requires additional environmental factors, including TCR-ligand engagement. We use single cell progenitor assays to reveal that ligand acts instructionally to direct adoption of the γδ fate. Moreover, we identify CD73 as a TCR ligand-induced cell surface protein that distinguishes γδTCR-expressing CD4-CD8- progenitors that have committed to the γδ fate from those that have not yet done so. Indeed, unlike CD73-γδTCR+ progenitors, which largely adopt the αβ fate upon separation from the intrathymic selecting environment, those that express CD73 remain CD4-CD8- and committed to the γδ fate. CD73 is expressed by >90% of peripheral γδ cells, suggesting this is a common occurrence during development. Moreover, CD73 induction appears to mark a metastable intermediate stage before acquisition of effector function, suggesting that γδ lineage and effector fate are specified sequentially. These findings have important implications for the role of ligand in γδ lineage commitment and its relationship to the specification of effector fate.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)329-343
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume211
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 10 2014

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