Microarray expression data from human TCRVg9-positive gamma delta T lymphocytes

We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression by circulating TCRVgamma9+ gamma delta T cells isolated from healthy individuals,tested either as resting cells or cells activated by phosphoantigen BrHPP and IL-2at an early(+6hrs) and a late (+7days) timepoint. We find that with more “NK cell” genes than alphabeta T cells and more “T cell” genes than NK cells, the circulating TCRVgamma9+ gamma delta T cells cells have a hybrid transcriptome. The gene signature of the activated cells recapitulates their physiological functions: Th1 cytokine, chemokine and cytotoxic activities at first and mitotic activity at later time points. The gene expression pattern of activated normal gamma delta T cells is nevertheless clearly distinctive from that of NK/T and peripheral T cell lymphomas of the gamma delta subtype. Human TCRVg9positive gamma delta T cells were isolated from PBMC by cell sorting (>98% purity) and activated for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Samples comprise cells before activation (control time 0), early after activation with BrHPP/IL2 (+6 hours) and at a later timepoint of the activated in vitro culture with BrHPP/IL2 (day 7).