Microbial exposure drives polyclonal expansion of innate γδ T cells immediately after birth
Sarina Ravens, Alina Suzann Fichtner, Maike Willers, Dennis Torkornoo, Sabine Pirr, Jennifer Schöning, Malte Deseke, Inga Sandrock, Anja Bubke, Anneke Wilharm, Daniel Dodoo, Beverly Egyir, Katie L. Flanagan, Lars Steinbrück, Paul Dickinson, Peter Ghazal, Bright Adu, Dorothee Viemann, Immo Prinz
Abstract
Significance T cell receptors (TCRs) on the surface of T cells mediate recognition of antigen. Since each new T cell carries an individual clonal TCR, monitoring of TCR repertoires reflects how T cells react and proliferate in response to environmental cues in the developing immune system of neonates and children. γδ T cells appear early during ontogeny and are important for immune surveillance. Here, we longitudinally analyze γδ T cells in neonates and show an immediate polyclonal expansion of phosphoantigen-reactive Vγ9Vδ2 + T cells after birth. We also observed differences in γδ TCR repertoires of children from Europe and Africa. Our study highlights the importance of γδ T cells in the neonatal immune system and their prompt expansion directly after birth.