DISTINCT GAMMA-DELTA-T-CELL RECEPTORS DEFINE 2 SUBSETS OF CIRCULATING PORCINE CD2-CD4-CD8- LYMPHOCYTES-T

The species swine provides the only example for CD2+ and CD2− subsets of lg−CD4−CD8− lymphocytes with the propensity for homing to lymphoid tissue (Saalmüller et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1989. 19: 2011). That the CD2−CD4−CD8− lymphocytes are bare of marker molecules that typify T lymphocytes raised the question of whether or not this cell type is descended from the T lymphocyte differentiation lineage. It is documented that expression of a phylogenetically conserved external epitope of T cell receptor γ/δ subdivides porcine CD2− lymphocytes into an epitope 86D+ minor and an 86D− major subset. Expression of distinct forms of the T cell receptor γ/δ, disulfide‐bonded N‐glycosylated surface heterodimers of under reducing conditions 38/40 and 37/40 kDa, respectively, hallmarks the CD2−86D+ and CD2−86D− subsets both as T lymphocytes. Copyright © 1990 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim