Phenotypic analysis and γδ-T cell receptor repertoire of murine T cells associated with the vaginal epithelium

T cells expressing αβ- and γδ-TCR are associated with the marine vaginal epithelium. A combination of phenotypic analysis of cell surface Ag and molecular analysis of the γ- and δ-genes was used to demonstrate that vaginal γδ-T cells have several features that distinguish them from γδ-T cells present in other tissues. Three color flow cytofluorometric analysis demonstrated that freshly isolated vaginal γδ-T cells are CD4^-CD8^- and their expression of Thy-1 is strain dependent. Furthermore, specific differences in CD5, CD28, and p55IL-2 receptor expression were found between αβ- and γδ-T cells isolated from vaginal tissue. The vaginal γδ-T cells are predominantly CD45⁺, pgp-1⁺, HSA^-, Ly-6C^-, and MEL-14^-. Both αβ- and γδ-T cells were absent in vaginal tissue from nude mice, although Thy-1-positive cells are present. It was also demonstrated that Vγ4 and Vδ1 are the only γ- and δ-genes that are expressed by vaginal cells. Sequence analysis of their junctions revealed that they express the Vγ4 and Vδ1 sequences also found in fetal thymocytes. Furthermore, the Vδ1 sequence is identical in the vaginal cells and the γδ-T cells from the epidermal epithelium. We conclude that the vagina, like the skin, is a site where γδ-T cells with an invariant TCR exist.