A RadLV-induced gamma delta T cell lymphoma displaying an antitumoral cytotoxicity

We described previously the induction by RadLV infection of a lymphoma (NS8) expressing a cytolytic activity against an MCA-induced fibrosarcoma. We report here that the cytolytic activity of these immortalized CD3+, CD8+ T cells is non-MHC-restricted. We then determined the structure and expression of the TCR chains expressed by these cells. Only partial rearrangement of the beta chain associated to an abnormally short transcript was detected in NS8 cells, whereas the gamma chain is rearranged and normally transcribed. On the opposite, rearrangement and expression of these genes were found in the other RadLV-induced lymphomas analysed. Moreover, gamma delta TCR proteins were detected on the cell surface of NS8 cells only, whereas the alpha beta complex, presents on the other T cell lines, was not expressed by NS8 cells. The ability of NS8 cells or of cells obtained from activated lymph nodes (harvested from mice grafted with the T2 sarcoma used to induce the NS8 line) to lyse the T2 sarcoma cell line was analysed. With both types of lymphocytes, the cytotoxicity was partially inhibited by a preincubation of the effector cells with anti-gamma delta antibodies. These results demonstrate that gamma delta lymphocytes can mediate anti-tumour cytotoxicity and NS8 lymphoma line may be representative of the TCR gamma delta CD8+ T cell subpopulation expressing non MHC-restricted cytotoxicity and displaying antitumoral activity.