|
1
|
Spiteri AG, Wishart CL, Pinget GV, Purohit SK, Macia L, King NJ, Niewold P. NK cell profiling in West Nile virus encephalitis reveals potential metabolic basis for functional inhibition. Immunol Cell Biol 2024; 102:280-291. [PMID: 38421112 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes important for viral defense. West Nile virus (WNV) infection of the central nervous system (CNS) causes marked recruitment of bone marrow (BM)-derived monocytes, T cells and NK cells, resulting in severe neuroinflammation and brain damage. Despite substantial numbers of NK cells in the CNS, their function and phenotype remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that NK cells mature from the BM to the brain, upregulate inhibitory receptors and show reduced cytokine production and degranulation, likely due to the increased expression of the inhibitory NK cell molecule, MHC-I. Intriguingly, this correlated with a reduction in metabolism associated with cytotoxicity in brain-infiltrating NK cells. Importantly, the degranulation and killing capability were restored in NK cells isolated from WNV-infected tissue, suggesting that WNV-induced NK cell inhibition occurs in the CNS. Overall, this work identifies a potential link between MHC-I inhibition of NK cells and metabolic reduction of their cytotoxicity during infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alanna G Spiteri
- Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Claire L Wishart
- Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabriela V Pinget
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shivam K Purohit
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laurence Macia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Cytometry, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas Jc King
- Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Cytometry, The University of Sydney and Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The University of Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The University of Sydney Nano Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paula Niewold
- Viral Immunopathology Laboratory, Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research Theme, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|