AUTHOR=Parker Morgan E. , Ciofani Maria TITLE=Regulation of γδ T Cell Effector Diversification in the Thymus JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.00042 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.00042 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=gd T cells are the first T cell lineage to develop in the thymus and take up residence in a wide variety of tissues where they can provide fast, innate-like sources of effector cytokines for barrier defense. In contrast to conventional ab T cells that egress the thymus as naïve cells, gd T cells can be programmed for effector function during development in the thymus. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine gd T cell effector fate is of great interest due to the wide-spread tissue distribution of gd T cells and their roles in pathogen clearance, immunosurveillance, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we will integrate the current understanding of the role of the T cell receptor, environmental signals, and transcription factor networks in controlling mouse innate-like gd T cell effector commitment.