The Humoral Response in TCR α-/-Mice. Can γδ-T Cells Support the Humoral Immune Response?

An optimal humoral response requires T-cell help; however, it has been questioned if this help comes exclusively from alphabeta-T cells or whether gammadelta-T cells also contribute. We have attempted to answer this question by studying the humoral response in T-cell receptor alpha-chain knockout (alpha-/-) mice, which lack the alphabetaT cell subset. Two model antigens were used to characterize the response: the thymus-independent (TI) antigen native dextran B512 (Dx), and the thymus-dependent (TD) antigen heat shock protein (HSP65) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When challenged with Dx, the alpha-/- mice elicited a strong antibody response and formed rudimentary germinal centres (GCs), …