Identification of a committed T cell precursor population in adult human peripheral blood

Here, we report data concerning the discovery in adult human peripheral blood of a precursor cell population able to differentiate into CD4⁺CD3⁺αβ⁺ mature T cells. These cells, which represent 0.1-0.5% of total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), express substantial levels of CD4, but lack CD3 surface expression. At a molecular level, they express the pre-T cell receptor α (pTα) gene, CD3-γ, CD-δ and CD-ε, and RAG-1 recombination enzyme and have initiated rearrangements in the T cell receptor (TCR)-β locus (D-J). Moreover, low levels of CD3ε protein, but not of TCR- β chain, can be detected in their cytoplasm. Our results suggest that CD4⁺CD3^- cells identified in peripheral blood are different from CD3^- CD4⁺CD8^- thymocytes and may contain precursors of an extrathymic T cell differentiation pathway.