STIMULATION OF HUMAN GAMMA-DELTA T-CELLS BY NONPEPTIDIC MYCOBACTERIALLIGANDS

Most human peripheral blood gammadelta T lymphocytes respond to hither to unidentified mycobacterial antigens. Four ligands from Mycobacteriu m tuberculosis strain H37Rv that stimulated proliferation of a major h uman gammadelta T cell subset were isolated and partially characterize d. One of these ligands, TUBag4, is a 5' triphosphorylated thymidine-c ontaining compound, to which the three other stimulatory molecules are structurally related. These findings support the hypothesis that some gammadelta T cells recognize nonpeptidic ligands.