IL-17A produced by γδ T cells plays a critical role in innate immunity against Listeria monocytogenes infection in the liver

IL-17A is originally identified as a proinflammatory cytokine that induces neutrophils. Although IL-17A production by CD4⁺ Th17 T cells is well documented, it is not clear whether IL-17A is produced and participates in the innate immune response against infections. In the present report, we demonstrate that IL-17A is expressed in the liver of mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes from an early stage of infection. IL-17A is important in protective immunity at an early stage of listerial infection in the liver because IL-17A-deficient mice showed aggravation of the protective response. The major IL-17A-producing cells at the early stage were TCR γδ T cells expressing TCR Vγ4 or Vγ6. Interestingly, TCR γδ T cells expressing both IFN-γ and IL-17A were hardly detected, indicating that the IL-17A-producing TCR γδ T cells are distinct from IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells, similar to the distinction between Th17 and Th1 in CD4⁺ T cells. All the results suggest that IL-17A is a newly discovered effector molecule produced by TCR γδ T cells, which is important in innate immunity in the liver.