1
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NKT cells adopt a glutamine-addicted phenotype to regulate their homeostasis and function. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111516. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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2
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Morgan RC, Kee BL. Genomic and Transcriptional Mechanisms Governing Innate-like T Lymphocyte Development. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 209:208-216. [PMID: 35821098 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Innate-like lymphocytes are a subset of lymphoid cells that function as a first line of defense against microbial infection. These cells are activated by proinflammatory cytokines or broadly expressed receptors and are able to rapidly perform their effector functions owing to a uniquely primed chromatin state that is acquired as a part of their developmental program. These cells function in many organs to protect against disease, but they release cytokines and cytotoxic mediators that can also lead to severe tissue pathologies. Therefore, harnessing the capabilities of these cells for therapeutic interventions will require a deep understanding of how these cells develop and regulate their effector functions. In this review we discuss recent advances in the identification of the transcription factors and the genomic regions that guide the development and function of invariant NKT cells and we highlight related mechanisms in other innate-like lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxroy C Morgan
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; and
| | - Barbara L Kee
- Cancer Biology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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3
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Cheng ZY, He TT, Gao XM, Zhao Y, Wang J. ZBTB Transcription Factors: Key Regulators of the Development, Differentiation and Effector Function of T Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:713294. [PMID: 34349770 PMCID: PMC8326903 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.713294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development and differentiation of T cells represents a long and highly coordinated, yet flexible at some points, pathway, along which the sequential and dynamic expressions of different transcriptional factors play prominent roles at multiple steps. The large ZBTB family comprises a diverse group of transcriptional factors, and many of them have emerged as critical factors that regulate the lineage commitment, differentiation and effector function of hematopoietic-derived cells as well as a variety of other developmental events. Within the T-cell lineage, several ZBTB proteins, including ZBTB1, ZBTB17, ZBTB7B (THPOK) and BCL6 (ZBTB27), mainly regulate the development and/or differentiation of conventional CD4/CD8 αβ+ T cells, whereas ZBTB16 (PLZF) is essential for the development and function of innate-like unconventional γδ+ T & invariant NKT cells. Given the critical role of T cells in host defenses against infections/tumors and in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory disorders, we herein summarize the roles of fourteen ZBTB family members in the development, differentiation and effector function of both conventional and unconventional T cells as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Yan Cheng
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ting-Ting He
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Gao
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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4
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Zhang S, Vieth JA, Krzyzanowska A, Henry EK, Denzin LK, Siracusa MC, Sant'Angelo DB. The Transcription Factor PLZF Is Necessary for the Development and Function of Mouse Basophils. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 203:1230-1241. [PMID: 31366712 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Basophils are innate immune cells associated with type 2 immunity, allergic reactions, and host defense against parasite infections. In this study, we show that the transcription factor PLZF, which is known for its essential role in the function and development of several innate lymphocyte subsets, is also important for the myeloid-derived basophil lineage. PLZF-deficient mice had decreased numbers of basophil progenitors in the bone marrow and mature basophils in multiple peripheral tissues. Functionally, PLZF-deficient basophils were less responsive to IgE activation and produced reduced amounts of IL-4. The altered function of basophils resulted in a blunted Th2 T cell response to a protein allergen. Additionally, PLZF-deficient basophils had reduced expression of the IL-18 receptor, which impacted migration to lungs. PLZF, therefore, is a major player in controlling type 2 immune responses mediated not only by innate lymphocytes but also by myeloid-derived cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Zhang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.,Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Joshua A Vieth
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
| | - Agata Krzyzanowska
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.,Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Everett K Henry
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103; and
| | - Lisa K Denzin
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.,Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Piscataway, NJ 08854.,Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
| | - Mark C Siracusa
- Department of Medicine, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103; and
| | - Derek B Sant'Angelo
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901; .,Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Piscataway, NJ 08854.,Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
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5
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Enhanced oxidative phosphorylation in NKT cells is essential for their survival and function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:7439-7448. [PMID: 30910955 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901376116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular metabolism and signaling pathways are key regulators to determine conventional T cell fate and function, but little is understood about the role of cell metabolism for natural killer T (NKT) cell survival, proliferation, and function. We found that NKT cells operate distinct metabolic programming from CD4 T cells. NKT cells are less efficient in glucose uptake than CD4 T cells with or without activation. Gene-expression data revealed that, in NKT cells, glucose is preferentially metabolized by the pentose phosphate pathway and mitochondria, as opposed to being converted into lactate. In fact, glucose is essential for the effector functions of NKT cells and a high lactate environment is detrimental for NKT cell survival and proliferation. Increased glucose uptake and IFN-γ expression in NKT cells is inversely correlated with bacterial loads in response to bacterial infection, further supporting the significance of glucose metabolism for NKT cell function. We also found that promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger seemed to play a role in regulating NKT cells' glucose metabolism. Overall, our study reveals that NKT cells use distinct arms of glucose metabolism for their survival and function.
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6
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Hai L, Szwarc MM, Lanza DG, Heaney JD, Lydon JP. Using CRISPR/Cas9 engineering to generate a mouse with a conditional knockout allele for the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger transcription factor. Genesis 2019; 57:e23281. [PMID: 30628160 PMCID: PMC6422732 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) transcription factor mediates a wide-range of biological processes. Accordingly, perturbation of PLZF function results in a myriad of physiologic defects, the most conspicuous of which is abnormal skeletal patterning. Although whole body knockout of Plzf in the mouse (Plzf KO ) has significantly expanded our understanding of Plzf function in vivo, a conditional knockout mouse model that enables tissue or cell-type specific ablation of Plzf has not been developed. Therefore, we used CRISPR/Cas 9 gene editing to generate a mouse model in which exon 2 of the murine Plzf gene is specifically flanked (or floxed) by LoxP sites (Plzf f/f ). Crossing our Plzf f/f mouse with a global cre-driver mouse to generate the Plzf d/d bigenic mouse, we demonstrate that exon 2 of the Plzf gene is ablated in the Plzf d/d bigenic. Similar to the previously reported Plzf KO mouse, the Plzf d/d mouse exhibits a severe defect in skeletal patterning of the hindlimb, indicating that the Plzf f/f mouse functions as designed. Therefore, studies in this short technical report demonstrate that the Plzf f/f mouse will be useful to investigators who wish to explore the role of the Plzf transcription factor in a specific tissue or cell-type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Hai
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Maria M. Szwarc
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Denise G. Lanza
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Jason D. Heaney
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - John P. Lydon
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030
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7
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Shissler SC, Webb TJ. The ins and outs of type I iNKT cell development. Mol Immunol 2018; 105:116-130. [PMID: 30502719 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that bridge the gap between the innate and adaptive immune responses. Like innate immune cells, they have a mature, effector phenotype that allows them to rapidly respond to threats, compared to adaptive cells. NKT cells express T cell receptors (TCRs) like conventional T cells, but instead of responding to peptide antigen presented by MHC class I or II, NKT cell TCRs recognize glycolipid antigen in the context of CD1d. NKT cells are subdivided into classes based on their TCR and antigen reactivity. This review will focus on type I iNKT cells that express a semi invariant Vα14Jα18 TCR and respond to the canonical glycolipid antigen, α-galactosylceramide. The innate-like effector functions of these cells combined with their T cell identity make their developmental path quite unique. In addition to the extrinsic factors that affect iNKT cell development such as lipid:CD1d complexes, co-stimulation, and cytokines, this review will provide a comprehensive delineation of the cell intrinsic factors that impact iNKT cell development, differentiation, and effector functions - including TCR rearrangement, survival and metabolism signaling, transcription factor expression, and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah C Shissler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St. HSF-1 Room 380, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Tonya J Webb
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St. HSF-1 Room 380, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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8
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PLZF play as an indirect facilitator of thymic retention for the innate-like T-cells to aquire innate-like functions. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:1044. [PMID: 30310052 PMCID: PMC6181981 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-1075-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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9
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Garner LC, Klenerman P, Provine NM. Insights Into Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cell Biology From Studies of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1478. [PMID: 30013556 PMCID: PMC6036249 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T cells that function at the interface between innate and adaptive immunity. They express semi-invariant T cell receptors (TCRs) and recognize unconventional non-peptide ligands bound to the MHC Class I-like molecules MR1 and CD1d, respectively. MAIT cells and iNKT cells exhibit an effector-memory phenotype and are enriched within the liver and at mucosal sites. In humans, MAIT cell frequencies dwarf those of iNKT cells, while in laboratory mouse strains the opposite is true. Upon activation via TCR- or cytokine-dependent pathways, MAIT cells and iNKT cells rapidly produce cytokines and show direct cytotoxic activity. Consequently, they are essential for effective immunity, and alterations in their frequency and function are associated with numerous infectious, inflammatory, and malignant diseases. Due to their abundance in mice and the earlier development of reagents, iNKT cells have been more extensively studied than MAIT cells. This has led to the routine use of iNKT cells as a reference population for the study of MAIT cells, and such an approach has proven very fruitful. However, MAIT cells and iNKT cells show important phenotypic, functional, and developmental differences that are often overlooked. With the recent availability of new tools, most importantly MR1 tetramers, it is now possible to directly study MAIT cells to understand their biology. Therefore, it is timely to compare the phenotype, development, and function of MAIT cells and iNKT cells. In this review, we highlight key areas where MAIT cells show similarity or difference to iNKT cells. In addition, we discuss important avenues for future research within the MAIT cell field, especially where comparison to iNKT cells has proven less informative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy C. Garner
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Klenerman
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas M. Provine
- Translational Gastroenterology Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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10
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Kasler HG, Lee IS, Lim HW, Verdin E. Histone Deacetylase 7 mediates tissue-specific autoimmunity via control of innate effector function in invariant Natural Killer T Cells. eLife 2018; 7:e32109. [PMID: 29664401 PMCID: PMC5943034 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that Histone Deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) controls the thymic effector programming of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, and that interference with this function contributes to tissue-specific autoimmunity. Gain of HDAC7 function in thymocytes blocks both negative selection and NKT development, and diverts Vα14/Jα18 TCR transgenic thymocytes into a Tconv-like lineage. Conversely, HDAC7 deletion promotes thymocyte apoptosis and causes expansion of innate-effector cells. Investigating the mechanisms involved, we found that HDAC7 binds PLZF and modulates PLZF-dependent transcription. Moreover, HDAC7 and many of its transcriptional targets are human risk loci for IBD and PSC, autoimmune diseases that strikingly resemble the disease we observe in HDAC7 gain-of-function in mice. Importantly, reconstitution of iNKT cells in these mice mitigated their disease, suggesting that the combined defects in negative selection and iNKT cells due to altered HDAC7 function can cause tissue-restricted autoimmunity, a finding that may explain the association between HDAC7 and hepatobiliary autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert G Kasler
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and ImmunologySan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Buck Institute for Research on AgingNovatoUnited States
| | - Intelly S Lee
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and ImmunologySan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Hyung W Lim
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and ImmunologySan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Eric Verdin
- Gladstone Institute of Virology and ImmunologySan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Buck Institute for Research on AgingNovatoUnited States
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11
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Abstract
The discovery of tissue-resident innate lymphoid cell populations effecting different forms of type 1, 2, and 3 immunity; tissue repair; and immune regulation has transformed our understanding of mucosal immunity and allergy. The emerging complexity of these populations along with compounding issues of redundancy and plasticity raise intriguing questions about their precise lineage relationship. Here we review advances in mapping the emergence of these lineages from early lymphoid precursors. We discuss the identification of a common innate lymphoid cell precursor characterized by transient expression of the transcription factor PLZF, and the lineage relationships of innate lymphoid cells with conventional natural killer cells and lymphoid tissue inducer cells. We also review the rapidly growing understanding of the network of transcription factors that direct the development of these lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel E Ishizuka
- Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637; .,Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Michael G Constantinides
- Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637; .,Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.,Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Herman Gudjonson
- Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637; .,Institute of Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637.,Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637; .,Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637
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12
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Fan X, Rudensky AY. Hallmarks of Tissue-Resident Lymphocytes. Cell 2016; 164:1198-1211. [PMID: 26967286 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Although they are classically viewed as continuously recirculating through the lymphoid organs and blood, lymphocytes also establish residency in non-lymphoid tissues, most prominently at barrier sites, including the mucosal surfaces and skin. These specialized tissue-resident lymphocyte subsets span the innate-adaptive continuum and include innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), unconventional T cells (e.g., NKT, MAIT, γδ T cells, and CD8αα(+) IELs), and tissue-resident memory T (T(RM)) cells. Although these diverse cell types differ in the particulars of their biology, they nonetheless exhibit important shared features, including a role in the preservation of tissue integrity and function during homeostasis, infection, and non-infectious perturbations. In this Review, we discuss the hallmarks of tissue-resident innate, innate-like, and adaptive lymphocytes, as well as their potential functions in non-lymphoid organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiying Fan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 417 East 68(th) Street, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Alexander Y Rudensky
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 417 East 68(th) Street, New York, NY 10065, USA; Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 417 East 68(th) Street, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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13
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Mao AP, Constantinides MG, Mathew R, Zuo Z, Chen X, Weirauch MT, Bendelac A. Multiple layers of transcriptional regulation by PLZF in NKT-cell development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7602-7. [PMID: 27325774 PMCID: PMC4941452 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1601504113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor PLZF [promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger, encoded by zinc finger BTB domain containing 16 (Zbtb16)] is induced during the development of innate and innate-like lymphocytes to direct their acquisition of a T-helper effector program, but the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Using biotinylation-based ChIP-seq and microarray analysis of both natural killer T (NKT) cells and PLZF-transgenic thymocytes, we identified several layers of regulation of the innate-like NKT effector program. First, PLZF bound and regulated genes encoding cytokine receptors as well as homing and adhesion receptors; second, PLZF bound and activated T-helper-specific transcription factor genes that in turn control T-helper-specific programs; finally, PLZF bound and suppressed the transcription of Bach2, a potent general repressor of effector differentiation in naive T cells. These findings reveal the multilayered architecture of the transcriptional program recruited by PLZF and elucidate how a single transcription factor can drive the developmental acquisition of a broad effector program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Ping Mao
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Michael G Constantinides
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Rebecca Mathew
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Zhixiang Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;
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14
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Thapa P, Chen MW, McWilliams DC, Belmonte P, Constans M, Sant'Angelo DB, Shapiro VS. NKAP Regulates Invariant NKT Cell Proliferation and Differentiation into ROR-γt-Expressing NKT17 Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 196:4987-98. [PMID: 27183586 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are a unique lineage with characteristics of both adaptive and innate lymphocytes, and they recognize glycolipids presented by an MHC class I-like CD1d molecule. During thymic development, iNKT cells also differentiate into NKT1, NKT2, and NKT17 functional subsets that preferentially produce cytokines IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17, respectively, upon activation. Newly selected iNKT cells undergo a burst of proliferation, which is defective in mice with a specific deletion of NKAP in the iNKT cell lineage, leading to severe reductions in thymic and peripheral iNKT cell numbers. The decreased cell number is not due to defective homeostasis or increased apoptosis, and it is not rescued by Bcl-xL overexpression. NKAP is also required for differentiation into NKT17 cells, but NKT1 and NKT2 cell development and function are unaffected. This failure in NKT17 development is rescued by transgenic expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger; however, the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger transgene does not restore iNKT cell numbers or the block in positive selection into the iNKT cell lineage in CD4-cre NKAP conditional knockout mice. Therefore, NKAP regulates multiple steps in iNKT cell development and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puspa Thapa
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905; and
| | - Meibo W Chen
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905; and
| | | | - Paul Belmonte
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905; and
| | - Megan Constans
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905; and
| | - Derek B Sant'Angelo
- Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
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15
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Liu TM, Lee EH, Lim B, Shyh-Chang N. Concise Review: Balancing Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation with PLZF. Stem Cells 2016; 34:277-87. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.2270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Revised: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tong Ming Liu
- Cancer Stem Cell Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore; Singapore
| | - Eng Hin Lee
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; National University of Singapore; Singapore
- NUS Tissue Engineering Program (NUSTEP); National University of Singapore; Singapore
| | - Bing Lim
- Cancer Stem Cell Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore; Singapore
| | - Ng Shyh-Chang
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology; Genome Institute of Singapore; Singapore
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16
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McDonald BD, Bunker JJ, Erickson SA, Oh-Hora M, Bendelac A. Crossreactive αβ T Cell Receptors Are the Predominant Targets of Thymocyte Negative Selection. Immunity 2015; 43:859-69. [PMID: 26522985 PMCID: PMC4654978 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Revised: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The precise impact of thymic positive and negative selection on the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire remains controversial. Here, we used unbiased, high-throughput cloning and retroviral expression of individual pre-selection TCRs to provide a direct assessment of these processes at the clonal level in vivo. We found that 15% of random TCRs induced signaling and directed positive (7.5%) or negative (7.5%) selection, depending on strength of signal, whereas the remaining 85% failed to induce signaling or selection. Most negatively selected TCRs exhibited promiscuous crossreactivity toward multiple other major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes. In contrast, TCRs that were positively selected or non-selected were minimally crossreactive. Negative selection of crossreactive TCRs led to clonal deletion but also recycling into intestinal CD4(-)CD8β(-) intraepithelial lymphocytes (iIELs). Thus, broadly crossreactive TCRs arise at low frequency in the pre-selection repertoire but constitute the primary drivers of thymic negative selection and iIEL lineage differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D McDonald
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Bunker
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Steven A Erickson
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Masatsugu Oh-Hora
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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17
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Rothenberg EV, Ungerbäck J, Champhekar A. Forging T-Lymphocyte Identity: Intersecting Networks of Transcriptional Control. Adv Immunol 2015; 129:109-74. [PMID: 26791859 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ai.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
T-lymphocyte development branches off from other lymphoid developmental programs through its requirement for sustained environmental signals through the Notch pathway. In the thymus, Notch signaling induces a succession of T-lineage regulatory factors that collectively create the T-cell identity through distinct steps. This process involves both the staged activation of T-cell identity genes and the staged repression of progenitor-cell-inherited regulatory genes once their roles in self-renewal and population expansion are no longer needed. With the recent characterization of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that share transcriptional regulation programs extensively with T-cell subsets, T-cell identity can increasingly be seen as defined in modular terms, as the processes selecting and actuating effector function are potentially detachable from the processes generating and selecting clonally unique T-cell receptor structures. The developmental pathways of different classes of T cells and ILCs are distinguished by the numbers of prerequisites of gene rearrangement, selection, and antigen contact before the cells gain access to nearly common regulatory mechanisms for choosing effector function. Here, the major classes of transcription factors that interact with Notch signals during T-lineage specification are discussed in terms of their roles in these programs, the evidence for their spectra of target genes at different stages, and their cross-regulatory and cooperative actions with each other. Specific topics include Notch modulation of PU.1 and GATA-3, PU.1-Notch competition, the relationship between PU.1 and GATA-3, and the roles of E proteins, Bcl11b, and GATA-3 in guiding acquisition of T-cell identity while avoiding redirection to an ILC fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen V Rothenberg
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
| | - Jonas Ungerbäck
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Experimental Hematopoiesis Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ameya Champhekar
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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18
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Lu Y, Cao X, Zhang X, Kovalovsky D. PLZF Controls the Development of Fetal-Derived IL-17+Vγ6+ γδ T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 195:4273-81. [PMID: 26408661 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) protein directs the effector differentiation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and IL-4(+) γδ NKT cells. In this study, we show that PLZF is also required for the development and function of IL-17(+) γδ T cells. We observed that PLZF is expressed in fetal-derived invariant Vγ5(+) and Vγ6(+) γδ T cells, which secrete IFN-γ and IL-17, respectively. PLZF deficiency specifically affected the effector differentiation of Vγ6(+) cells, leading to reduced numbers of mature CD27(-)CD44(+) phenotype capable of secreting IL-17. Although PLZF was not required for Vγ5(+) γδ T cells to develop, when these cells were reprogrammed into IL-17-secreting cells in Skint-1 mutant mice, they required PLZF for their effector maturation, similarly to Vγ6(+) γδ T cells. The impaired effector differentiation of PLZF-deficient Vγ6(+) γδ T cells was not due to increased apoptosis and it was related to reduced proliferation of immature CD27(+)CD44(-) Vγ6(+) γδ T cells, which was required for their differentiation into mature CD27(-)CD44(+) IL-17-secreting cells. Thus, the present study identifies that PLZF function is not restricted to NKT or IL-4(+) T cells, but it also controls the development of IL-17(+) γδ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Lu
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xin Cao
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Xianyu Zhang
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Damian Kovalovsky
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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19
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Zbtb16 (PLZF) is stably suppressed and not inducible in non-innate T cells via T cell receptor-mediated signaling. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12113. [PMID: 26178856 PMCID: PMC4503983 DOI: 10.1038/srep12113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor PLZF (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger; zbtb16) is essential for nearly all of the unique characteristics of NKT cells including their rapid and potent response to antigen. In the immune system, zbtb16 expression is only found in innate cells. Conventional T cells that ectopically express PLZF spontaneously acquire an activated, effector phenotype. Activation induced expression of lineage defining transcription factors such as T-bet, FoxP3, RORγt, GATA3 and others is essential for naïve T cell differentiation into effector T cells. In this study, we used sensitive genetic-based approaches to assess the induction of PLZF expression in non-innate T cells by T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated activation. Surprisingly, we found that PLZF was stably repressed in non-innate T cells and that TCR-mediated signaling was not sufficient to induce PLZF in conventional T cells. The inactivated state of PLZF was stably maintained in mature T cells, even under inflammatory conditions imposed by bacterial infection. Collectively, our data show that, in contrast to multiple recent reports, PLZF expression is highly specific to innate T cells and cannot be induced in conventional T cells via TCR-mediated activation or inflammatory challenge.
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20
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Abstract
The immune system can be divided into innate and adaptive components that differ in their rate and mode of cellular activation, with innate immune cells being the first responders to invading pathogens. Recent advances in the identification and characterization of innate lymphoid cells have revealed reiterative developmental programs that result in cells with effector fates that parallel those of adaptive lymphoid cells and are tailored to effectively eliminate a broad spectrum of pathogenic challenges. However, activation of these cells can also be associated with pathologies such as autoimmune disease. One major distinction between innate and adaptive immune system cells is the constitutive expression of ID proteins in the former and inducible expression in the latter. ID proteins function as antagonists of the E protein transcription factors that play critical roles in lymphoid specification as well as B- and T-lymphocyte development. In this review, we examine the transcriptional mechanisms controlling the development of innate lymphocytes, including natural killer cells and the recently identified innate lymphoid cells (ILC1, ILC2, and ILC3), and innate-like lymphocytes, including natural killer T cells, with an emphasis on the known requirements for the ID proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihalis Verykokakis
- Committee on Immunology and Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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21
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Singh SP, Zhang HH, Tsang H, Gardina PJ, Myers TG, Nagarajan V, Lee CH, Farber JM. PLZF regulates CCR6 and is critical for the acquisition and maintenance of the Th17 phenotype in human cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 194:4350-61. [PMID: 25833398 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1401093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Th17 cells, which express the chemokine receptor CCR6, are implicated in many immune-mediated disorders, such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. We found that expression levels of CCR6 on human effector/memory CD4(+) T cells reflect a continuum of Th17 differentiation. By evaluating the transcriptome in cells with increasing CCR6, we detected progressive upregulation of ZBTB16, which encodes the broad complex, tramtrack, bric-à-brac-zinc finger transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF). Using chromatin immunoprecipitation for modified histones, p300, and PLZF, we identified enhancer-like sites at -9/-10 and -13/-14 kb from the upstream transcription start site of CCR6 that bind PLZF in CCR6(+) cells. For Th cells from adult blood, both in the CCR6(+) memory population and in naive cells activated ex vivo, knockdown of ZBTB16 downregulated CCR6 and other Th17-associated genes. ZBTB16 and RORC (which encodes the "master regulator" RORγt) cross-regulate each other, and PLZF binds at the RORC promoter in CCR6(+) cells. In naive Th cells from cord blood, ZBTB16 expression was confined to CD161(+) cells, which are Th17 cell precursors. ZBTB16 was not expressed in mouse Th17 cells, and Th17 cells could be made from luxoid mice, which harbor an inactivating mutation in Zbtb16. These studies demonstrate a role for PLZF as an activator of transcription important both for Th17 differentiation and the maintenance of the Th17 phenotype in human cells, expand the role of PLZF as a critical regulator in the human adaptive immune system, and identify a novel, essential element in a regulatory network that is of significant therapeutic interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satya P Singh
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Hongwei H Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Hsinyi Tsang
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Paul J Gardina
- Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and
| | - Timothy G Myers
- Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and
| | - Vijayaraj Nagarajan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Chang Hoon Lee
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Joshua M Farber
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892;
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22
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McDonald BD, Bunker JJ, Ishizuka IE, Jabri B, Bendelac A. Elevated T cell receptor signaling identifies a thymic precursor to the TCRαβ(+)CD4(-)CD8β(-) intraepithelial lymphocyte lineage. Immunity 2014; 41:219-29. [PMID: 25131532 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The origin and developmental pathway of intestinal T cell receptor αβ(+) CD4(-)CD8β(-) intraepithelial lymphocytes (unconventional iIELs), a major population of innate-like resident cytolytic T cells, have remained elusive. By cloning and expressing several TCRs isolated from unconventional iIELs, we identified immature CD4(lo)CD8(lo)(DP(lo))CD69(hi)PD-1(hi) thymocytes as the earliest postsignaling precursors for these cells. Although these precursors displayed multiple signs of elevated TCR signaling, a sizeable fraction of them escaped deletion to selectively engage in unconventional iIEL differentiation. Conversely, TCRs cloned from DP(lo)CD69(hi)PD-1(hi) thymocytes, a population enriched in autoreactive thymocytes, selectively gave rise to unconventional iIELs upon transgenic expression. Thus, the unconventional iIEL precursor overlaps with the DP(lo) population undergoing negative selection, indicating that, concomitant with the downregulation of both CD4 and CD8 coreceptors, a balance between apoptosis and survival signals results in outcomes as divergent as clonal deletion and differentiation to the unconventional iIEL lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D McDonald
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Bunker
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Isabel E Ishizuka
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bana Jabri
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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23
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Jarid2 is induced by TCR signalling and controls iNKT cell maturation. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4540. [PMID: 25105474 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Jarid2 is a reported component of three lysine methyltransferase complexes, polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that methylates histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27), and GLP-G9a and SETDB1 complexes that methylate H3K9. Here we show that Jarid2 is upregulated upon TCR stimulation and during positive selection in the thymus. Mice lacking Jarid2 in T cells display an increase in the frequency of IL-4-producing promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF)(hi) immature invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and innate-like CD8(+) cells; Itk-deficient mice, which have a similar increase of innate-like CD8(+) cells, show blunted upregulation of Jarid2 during positive selection. Jarid2 binds to the Zbtb16 locus, which encodes PLZF, and thymocytes lacking Jarid2 show increased PLZF and decreased H3K9me3 levels. Jarid2-deficient iNKT cells perturb Th17 differentiation, leading to reduced Th17-driven autoimmune pathology. Our results establish Jarid2 as a novel player in iNKT cell maturation that regulates PLZF expression by modulating H3K9 methylation.
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24
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Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) specialize in the rapid secretion of polarized sets of cytokines and chemokines to combat infection and promote tissue repair at mucosal barriers. Their diversity and similarities with previously characterized natural killer (NK) cells and lymphoid tissue inducers (LTi) have prompted a provisional classification of all innate lymphocytes into groups 1, 2 and 3 solely on the basis of cytokine properties, but their developmental pathways and lineage relationships remain elusive. Here we identify and characterize a novel subset of lymphoid precursors in mouse fetal liver and adult bone marrow that transiently express high amounts of PLZF, a transcription factor previously associated with NK T cell development, by using lineage tracing and transfer studies. PLZF(high) cells were committed ILC progenitors with multiple ILC1, ILC2 and ILC3 potential at the clonal level. They excluded classical LTi and NK cells, but included a peculiar subset of NK1.1(+)DX5(-) 'NK-like' cells residing in the liver. Deletion of PLZF markedly altered the development of several ILC subsets, but not LTi or NK cells. PLZF(high) precursors also expressed high amounts of ID2 and GATA3, as well as TOX, a known regulator of PLZF-independent NK and LTi lineages. These findings establish novel lineage relationships between ILC, NK and LTi cells, and identify the common precursor to ILCs, termed ILCP. They also reveal the broad, defining role of PLZF in the differentiation of innate lymphocytes.
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25
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Abstract
Over the past 15 years, investigators have shown that T lymphocytes can recognize not only peptides in the context of MHC class I and class II molecules but also foreign and self-lipids in association with the nonclassical MHC class I-like molecules, CD1 proteins. In this review, we describe the most recent events in the field, with particular emphasis on (a) structural and functional aspects of lipid presentation by CD1 molecules, (b) the development of CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and transcription factors required for their differentiation, (c) the ability of iNKT cells to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses through their cross talk with lymphoid and myeloid cells, and (d) MR1-restricted and group I (CD1a, CD1b, and CD1c)-restricted T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariolina Salio
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom;
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26
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Engel I, Kronenberg M. Transcriptional control of the development and function of Vα14i NKT cells. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2014; 381:51-81. [PMID: 24839184 DOI: 10.1007/82_2014_375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The majority of T lymphocytes, sometimes referred to as as mainstream or conventional T cells, are characterized by a diverse T cell antigen receptor (TCR) repertoire. They require antigen priming in order to become memory cells capable of mounting a rapid effector response. It has become established, however, that there are several distinct T cell lineages that exhibit a memory phenotype in the absence of antigen priming, even as they differentiate in the thymus. These lymphocytes typically express a markedly restricted TCR repertoire and their rapid response kinetics has led to their being described as innate-like T cells. In addition, several of these subsets typically express surface markers commonly found on natural killer cells, which has led to the moniker natural killer T cells (NKT cells). This review will describe our current understanding of the unique ways whereby transcription factors control the development and function of an abundant and widely studied lineage of NKT cells that recognizes glycolipid antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Engel
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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27
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Verykokakis M, Krishnamoorthy V, Iavarone A, Lasorella A, Sigvardsson M, Kee BL. Essential functions for ID proteins at multiple checkpoints in invariant NKT cell development. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2013; 191:5973-83. [PMID: 24244015 PMCID: PMC3864619 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1301521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells display characteristics of both adaptive and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Like other ILCs, iNKT cells constitutively express ID proteins, which antagonize the E protein transcription factors that are essential for adaptive lymphocyte development. However, unlike ILCs, ID2 is not essential for thymic iNKT cell development. In this study, we demonstrated that ID2 and ID3 redundantly promoted iNKT cell lineage specification involving the induction of the signature transcription factor PLZF and that ID3 was critical for development of TBET-dependent NKT1 cells. In contrast, both ID2 and ID3 limited iNKT cell numbers by enforcing the postselection checkpoint in conventional thymocytes. Therefore, iNKT cells show both adaptive and innate-like requirements for ID proteins at distinct checkpoints during iNKT cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihalis Verykokakis
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637
| | | | - Antonio Iavarone
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Anna Lasorella
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032
| | - Mikael Sigvardsson
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Experimental Hematopoiesis Unit, Faculty for Health Sciences, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Barbara L. Kee
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637
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28
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Zhu L, Qiao Y, Choi ES, Das J, Sant'angelo DB, Chang CH. A transgenic TCR directs the development of IL-4+ and PLZF+ innate CD4 T cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:737-44. [PMID: 23776174 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
MHC class II-expressing thymocytes can efficiently mediate positive selection of CD4 T cells in mice. Thymocyte-selected CD4 (T-CD4) T cells have an innate-like phenotype similar to invariant NKT cells. To investigate the development and function of T-CD4 T cells in-depth, we cloned TCR genes from T-CD4 T cells and generated transgenic mice. Remarkably, positive selection of T-CD4 TCR transgenic (T3) thymocytes occurred more efficiently when MHC class II was expressed by thymocytes than by thymic epithelial cells. Similar to polyclonal T-CD4 T cells and also invariant NKT cells, T3 CD4 T cell development is controlled by signaling lymphocyte activation molecule/signaling lymphocyte activation molecule-associated protein signaling, and the cells expressed both IL-4 and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF). Surprisingly, the selected T3 CD4 T cells were heterogeneous in that only half expressed IL-4 and only half expressed PLZF. IL-4- and PLZF-expressing cells were first found at the double-positive cell stage. Thus, the expression of IL-4 and PLZF seems to be determined by an unidentified event that occurs postselection and is not solely dependent on TCR specificity or the selection process, per se. Taken together, our data show for the first time, to our knowledge, that the TCR specificity regulates but does not determine the development of innate CD4 T cells by thymocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqiao Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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29
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Ghosh A, Holland AM, Dogan Y, Yim NL, Rao UK, Young LF, West ML, Singer NV, Lee H, Na IK, Tsai JJ, Jenq RR, Penack O, Hanash AM, Lezcano C, Murphy GF, Liu C, Sadelain M, Sauer MG, Sant'angelo D, van den Brink MRM. PLZF confers effector functions to donor T cells that preserve graft-versus-tumor effects while attenuating GVHD. Cancer Res 2013; 73:4687-96. [PMID: 23733752 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-4699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Efforts to limit GVHD mediated by alloreactive donor T cells after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation are limited by a concomitant decrease in graft-versus-tumor (GVT) activity and increased possibilities of tumor relapse. Using a novel approach, we adoptively transferred conventional T cells expressing the transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF), which confers effector properties resembling invariant natural killer T cells, such as copious production of cytokines under suboptimal stimulation. PLZF expression in T-cell allografts attenuates expansion of alloreactive T cells, leading to lower GVHD. Intact alloreactivity-driven antitumor cytokine responses result in preserved GVT effects, leading to improved survival. Our findings suggest that therapy with PLZF-overexpressing T cells would result in overall improved outcomes due to less GVHD and intact GVT effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Ghosh
- Departments of Immunology and Medicine, and Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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30
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Constantinides MG, Bendelac A. Transcriptional regulation of the NKT cell lineage. Curr Opin Immunol 2013; 25:161-7. [PMID: 23402834 PMCID: PMC3647452 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
How expression of canonical semi-invariant TCRs leads to innate-like effector differentiation is a central enigma of NKT cell development. NKT thymic precursors undergo elevated TCR signals leading to increased Egr2, which directly induces their signature transcription factor, PLZF. PLZF is necessary and sufficient to induce a multipotent, unbiased effector program that precedes terminal differentiation into T-bet(high) NK1.1(+) (NKT1) cells and recently identified NKT2 and NKT17 sublineages. Major variations in polarized NKT sublineages have been uncovered in different mouse strains and in several mutants, with direct impact on NKT cell function but also, unexpectedly, on the development and function of conventional T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Constantinides
- Committee on Immunology and Department of Pathology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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31
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Brennan PJ, Brigl M, Brenner MB. Invariant natural killer T cells: an innate activation scheme linked to diverse effector functions. Nat Rev Immunol 2013; 13:101-17. [PMID: 23334244 DOI: 10.1038/nri3369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 604] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells exist in a 'poised effector' state, which enables them to rapidly produce cytokines following activation. Using a nearly monospecific T cell receptor, they recognize self and foreign lipid antigens presented by CD1d in a conserved manner, but their activation can catalyse a spectrum of polarized immune responses. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the innate-like mechanisms underlying iNKT cell activation and describe how lipid antigens, the inflammatory milieu and interactions with other immune cell subsets regulate the functions of iNKT cells in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Brennan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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32
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Gleimer M, von Boehmer H, Kreslavsky T. PLZF Controls the Expression of a Limited Number of Genes Essential for NKT Cell Function. Front Immunol 2012; 3:374. [PMID: 23267359 PMCID: PMC3528072 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NKT) T cells exhibit tissue distribution, surface phenotype, and functional responses that are strikingly different from those of conventional T cells. The transcription factor PLZF is responsible for most of these properties, as its ectopic expression in conventional T cells is sufficient to confer to them an NKT-like phenotype. The molecular program downstream of PLZF, however, is largely unexplored. Here we report that PLZF regulates the expression of a surprisingly small set of genes, many with known immune functions. This includes several established components of the NKT cell developmental program. Expression of the transcriptional regulators Id2, previously shown to be required for iNKT cell survival in the liver and c-Maf, which shapes the NKT cytokine profile, was compromised in PLZF-deficient cells. Ectopic expression of c-Maf complemented the cells' defect in producing IL-4 and IL-10. PLZF also induced a program of cell surface receptors which shape the NKT cell's response to external stimuli, including the costimulatory receptor ICOS and the cytokine receptors IL12rb1 and IL18r1. As an ensemble, the known functions of the molecules whose expression is affected by PLZF explain many defects observed in PLZF(-/-) NKT cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gleimer
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
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Mathew R, Seiler MP, Scanlon ST, Mao AP, Constantinides MG, Bertozzi-Villa C, Singer JD, Bendelac A. BTB-ZF factors recruit the E3 ligase cullin 3 to regulate lymphoid effector programs. Nature 2012; 491:618-21. [PMID: 23086144 PMCID: PMC3504649 DOI: 10.1038/nature11548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The differentiation of several T and B cell effector programs in the immune system is directed by signature transcription factors that induce rapid epigenetic remodeling. We report that PLZF, the BTB-ZF transcription factor directing the innate-like effector program of NKT thymocytes 1,2 was prominently associated with cullin 3 (Cul3), an E3 ubiquitin ligase previously shown to use BTB domain-containing proteins as adaptors for substrate binding 3–7. PLZF transported Cul3 to the nucleus where the two proteins were associated within a chromatin modifying complex. Furthermore, PLZF expression resulted in selective changes of ubiquitination of multiple components of this complex. Cul3 was also found associated with another BTB-ZF transcription factor, Bcl6, which directs the B cell germinal center and the T follicular helper programs. Conditional deletion in mice demonstrated an essential role of Cul3 for the development of PLZF- and Bcl6-dependent lineages. We conclude that distinct lineage-specific BTB-ZF transcription factors recruit Cul3 to alter the ubiquitination pattern of their associated chromatin modifying complex. We propose that this novel function is essential to direct the differentiation of several T and B lymphocyte effector programs, and may also be involved in the oncogenic role of PLZF and Bcl6 in leukemias and lymphomas 8,9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Mathew
- Committee on Immunology, Department of Pathology, The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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Seiler MP, Mathew R, Liszewski MK, Spooner C, Barr K, Meng F, Singh H, Bendelac A. Elevated and sustained expression of the transcription factors Egr1 and Egr2 controls NKT lineage differentiation in response to TCR signaling. Nat Immunol 2012; 13:264-71. [PMID: 22306690 PMCID: PMC3288314 DOI: 10.1038/ni.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Interactions driven by the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) determine the lineage fate of CD4(+)CD8(+) thymocytes, but the molecular mechanisms that induce the lineage-determining transcription factors are unknown. Here we found that TCR-induced transcription factors Egr2 and Egr1 had higher and more-prolonged expression in precursors of the natural killer T (NKT) than in cells of conventional lineages. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing showed that Egr2 directly bound and activated the promoter of Zbtb16, which encodes the NKT lineage-specific transcription factor PLZF. Egr2 also bound the promoter of Il2rb, which encodes the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor β-chain, and controlled the responsiveness to IL-15, which signals the terminal differentiation of the NKT lineage. Thus, we propose that persistent higher expression of Egr2 specifies the early and late stages of NKT lineage differentiation, providing a discriminating mechanism that enables TCR signaling to 'instruct' a thymic lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Seiler
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rebecca Mathew
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Megan K. Liszewski
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Chauncey Spooner
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kenneth Barr
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Fanyong Meng
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Harinder Singh
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
| | - Albert Bendelac
- Committee on Immunology and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, 60637, USA
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Engel I, Kronenberg M. Making memory at birth: understanding the differentiation of natural killer T cells. Curr Opin Immunol 2012; 24:184-90. [PMID: 22305304 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2012.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Glycolipid reactive natural killer T cells with an invariant TCR α-chain (iNKT cells) are a conserved population of T lymphocytes with a distinct anatomical distribution and functional properties. The differentiation pathway of iNKT cells branches off from mainstream thymocyte differentiation at the double positive stage, and recent work has revealed how signaling events early in the iNKT cell pathway imprint a memory-like behavior on these cells. Additionally, unique molecular interactions governing iNKT cell development and tissue distribution have been uncovered recently, building up our knowledge of the complex network of interactions that form this population. Novel autologous antigens for these cells have been identified, although it has not yet been resolved if there is single endogenous antigen responsible for both positive selection and/or peripheral activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Engel
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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