V gamma gene usage in peripheral blood gamma delta T cells

The majority (50-90%) of gamma delta T cells in the peripheral blood of adult individuals expresses a T-cell receptor (TCR) which uses V gamma 9 and V delta 2 as variable elements. Little is known about the distribution of other V gamma gene elements in the remaining 10-50% of gamma delta T cells. Here we have studied the V gamma gene expression in peripheral blood gamma delta T cells by 3-color flow cytometry analysis applying established monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed against V gamma 9 and V gamma 4, as well as a novel mAb directed against V gamma 2, V gamma 3 and V gamma 4. On average, 79.9% of gamma delta T cells expressed V gamma 9, 11.9% V gamma 2/V gamma 3, 4.4% V gamma 4, and 7.5% one of the remaining V gamma 5, V gamma 8, V gamma 10 or V gamma 11 elements. There were remarkable variations in the gamma delta subset composition between individual donors. The majority (69.8%) of V gamma 2/V gamma 3/V gamma 4-bearing cells co-expressed V delta 1, while on average only 17.8% of V gamma 2/V gamma 3/V gamma 4-bearing cells co-expressed V delta 2. This is in contrast to V gamma 9-bearing gamma delta T cells, of which 83.1% used V delta 2 and only 12.7% V delta 1. Taken together, this data identifies V gamma 2/V gamma 3 as the second most frequently used set of V gamma elements in human peripheral blood gamma delta T cells.