Lack of alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T cell activity in the TCR-gamma delta T cell subpopulation of alloantigen-immune chickens.

ABSTRACT

We examined the in vivo generation of alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in chicken TCR-alpha beta and TCR-gamma delta T cells. The TCR-alpha beta and TCR-gamma delta subpopulations were separated from spleen of alloantigen-immune chickens using a negative selection method. The separated cells were examined for alloantigen-specific CTL activity in a 51Cr release assay. While negatively selected TCR-alpha beta cells exerted alloantigen-specific CTL activity, no cytotoxic activity could be detected with TCR-gamma delta cells.