We demonstrated that gamma delta T cells contribute to protective immunity against Toxoplasma gondii by inducing the expression of a 65,000 MW heat-shock protein (hsp 65) in host macrophages. Here we examined the role of extrathymic and intrathymic gamma delta T cells in protective immunity and hsp 65 expression in mice infected with T. gondii. Intrathymic gamma delta T cells were obtained from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice grafted with syngeneic fetal thymus (TG-SCID), in which only T cells derived from the donor thymus developed, whereas extrathymic gamma delta T cells were obtained from nude mice that lack thymus. Extrathymic gamma delta T cells from T. gondii-infected nude mice differed from intrathymic gamma delta T cells of infected TG-SCID mice, in terms of Thy1.2 expression and V-region gene usage of T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma delta. Extrathymic gamma delta T cells expressed extremely high levels of Thy1.2, and had V gamma 7 repertoire but lacked V gamma 5,6 and V delta 1,5. On the other hand, intrathymic gamma delta T cells express intermediate and low levels of Thy1,2. These cells possessed V gamma 5,6 and V delta 1,5 but failed to rearrange the V gamma 7 gene. Peritoneal macrophages from infected nude mice contained hsp 65, whereas this protein was scarcely expressed in those of infected TG-SCID mice. Transfer of extrathymic, but not of intrathymic gamma delta T cells to SCID mice enabled their macrophages to express hsp 65. Athymic nude mice were significantly resistant to the infection compared with SCID mice which lack gamma delta T as well as alpha beta T cells. The resistance was dependent upon extrathymic gamma delta T cells, since nude mice depleted of gamma delta T cells using a corresponding monoclonal antibody became extremely susceptible. These results indicated that extrathymic rather than intrathymic gamma delta T cells play some crucial roles in protection against T. gondii and in hsp 65 expression.