Isolation and characterization of human peripheral blood CD4+ T cell clones expressing gamma delta T cell receptors

Rare T cell clones bearing both CD4 and gamma delta T cell receptors (TcR gamma delta) were obtained from human peripheral blood by cell sorting using anti-CD4 and anti-TCR delta 1 antibodies. All the clones established were reactive with anti-TcR gamma delta 1 antibody, whereas only about 20% of the clones showed reactivity with anti-delta TCS1 antibody. Unlike most CD4+ T cells bearing TcR alpha beta, all the clones tested showed lectin-dependent and anti-CD3 antibody-redirected cytolytic activity. About 60% of the clones exhibited natural killer cell-like activity. Immunoprecipitation analysis of TcR gamma delta showed that each clone expressed either a disulfide-linked or non-disulfide-linked heterodimer consisting of 37-44-kDa TcR gamma and TcR delta chains.