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Abstract

The γδ T cell receptor for antigen (TCR) comprises the clonotypic TCRγδ, the CD3 (CD3γε and/or CD3δε), and the ζζ dimers. γδ T cells do not develop in CD3γ-deficient mice, whereas human patients lacking CD3γ have abundant peripheral blood γδ T cells expressing high γδ TCR levels. In an attempt to identify the molecular basis for these discordant phenotypes, we determined the stoichiometries of mouse and human γδ TCRs using blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and anti-TCR-specific antibodies. The γδ TCR isolated in digitonin from primary and cultured human γδ T cells includes CD3δ, with a TCRγδCD3ε₂δγζ₂ stoichiometry. In CD3γ-deficient patients, this may allow substitution of CD3γ by the CD3δ chain and thereby support γδ T cell development. In contrast, the mouse γδ TCR does not incorporate CD3δ and has a TCRγδCD3ε₂γ₂ζ₂ stoichiometry. CD3γ-deficient mice exhibit a block in γδ T cell development. A human, but not a mouse, CD3δ transgene rescues γδ T cell development in mice lacking both mouse CD3δ and CD3γ chains. This suggests important structural and/or functional differences between human and mouse CD3δ chains during γδ T cell development. Collectively, our results indicate that the different γδ T cell phenotypes between CD3γ-deficient humans and mice can be explained by differences in their γδ TCR composition.