GAMMA-DELTA T-CELL LINES ISOLATED FROM INTESTINAL EPITHELIUM RESPOND TO A B-CELL LYMPHOMA

Gammadelta T-cell hybrid clones were obtained from intestinal intraepi thelial lymphocytes (i-IEL) by fusion with the BW5147 thymoma line. Fo ur clones which expressed different Vgamma/Vdelta genes were selected for further study. All of the gammadelta clones secreted interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the presence of the BALB/c-derived B-lymphoma line, A20. No alphabeta T-cell hybrid clones derived from spleen or i-IEL responded to A20. We obtained several pieces of evidence which strongly suggest that these responses are mediated by the gammadelta T-cell receptor ( TcR). Class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC), FcR and surface Ig expressed on A20 are not involved in the response. Native i-IEL de rived from BALB/c selectively survive in culture in the presence of A2 0 cells. The ligand may be a superantigen-like molecule because all ou r gammadelta T-cell clones responded to A20 in spite of their differen t combinations of Vgamma/Vdelta gene segments.