CD1d-restricted Manner Research Articles

Human and mouse intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) present glycolipid antigens to natural killer (NK)-T cells in a CD1d-restricted manner

Human and mouse intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) present glycolipid antigens to natural killer (NK)-T cells in a CD1d-restricted manner

Activation of natural killer T cells by alpha-galactosylceramide in the presence of CD1d provides protection against colitis in mice.

CD1d is a major histocompatibility complex class I-like molecule that presents glycolipid antigens to a subset of natural killer (NK)1.1(+) T cells. These NK T cells exhibit important immunoregulatory functions in several autoimmune disease models. To investigate whether CD1d and NK T cells have a similar role in intestinal inflammation, the effects of the glycolipid, alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis were examined. Wild-type (WT), CD1d(-/-), and RAG(-/-) mice were examined for their response to either alpha-GalCer or the control analogue, alpha-mannosylceramide (alpha-ManCer). WT mice, but not CD1d(-/-) and RAG(-/-) mice, receiving alpha-GalCer had a significant improvement in DSS-induced colitis based on body weight, bleeding, diarrhea, and survival when compared with those receiving alpha-ManCer. Elimination of NK T cells through antibody-mediated depletion resulted in a reduction of the effect of alpha-GalCer. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of NK T cells preactivated by alpha-GalCer, but not alpha-ManCer, resulted in diminished colitis. Using a fluorescent-labeled analogue of alpha-GalCer, confocal microscopy localized alpha-GalCer to the colonic surface epithelium of WT but not CD1d(-/-) mice, indicating alpha-GalCer binds CD1d in the intestinal epithelium and may be functionally active at this site. These results show an important functional role for NK T cells, activated by alpha-GalCer in a CD1d-restricted manner, in regulating intestinal inflammation.

Analysis of Human Vα24+ CD4+ NKT Cells Activated by α-Glycosylceramide-Pulsed Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells

AbstractHuman Vα24+ NKT cells with an invariant TCR (Vα24-JαQ) have been shown to be specifically activated by synthetic glycolipids such as α-galactosylceramide and α-glucosylceramide in a CD1d-restricted and Vα24 TCR-mediated manner. We recently characterized Vα24+ CD4− CD8− double negative (DN) NKT cells using α-galactosylceramide-pulsed monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Here, we compare Vα24+ CD4+ NKT cells with human Vα24+ DN NKT cells from the same donor using α-galactosylceramide-pulsed monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Human Vα24+ CD4+ NKT cells were phenotypically and functionally similar to the human Vα24+ DN NKT cells characterized previously. Both of them use Vα24-JαQ-Vβ11 TCR and express CD161 (NKR-P1A), but not the other NK receptors tested so far. They also produce cytokines such as IL-4 and IFN-γ, and, in regard to IL-4 production, Vα24+ CD4+ NKT cells produce more IL-4 than Vα24+ DN NKT cells. The cells exhibit marked cytotoxic activity against the U937 tumor cell line, but not against the NK target cell line, K562. Although at least some of the factors responsible for the stimulation of Vα24+ NKT cells have been clarified, little is known regarding the killing phase of these cells. Here we show that the cytotoxic activity of Vα24+ NKT cells against U937 cells is mediated mainly through the perforin pathway and that ICAM-1/LFA-1 as well as CD44/hyaluronic acid interactions are important for the effector phase of Vα24+ NKT cell-mediated cytotoxicity against U937 cells.

NKT cells in the rat: organ-specific distribution of NK T cells expressing distinct V alpha 14 chains.

Rat invariant TCR alpha-chains and NKT cells were investigated to clarify whether CD1d-mediated recognition by NKT cells is conserved further in evolution. Rats had multiple-copies of TRAV14 genes, which can be categorized into two types according to the diversity accumulated in the CDR2 region. Rats retained invariant TCR alpha forms with the homogeneous junctional region similar to mouse invariant TRAV14-J281. The proportion of invariant TCR among V alpha 14+ clones was 12.9% in the thymus and increased in the periphery, 31% in the spleen and 95% in hepatic sinusoidal cells. The invariant TRAV14-J281 was expressed by liver sinusoidal and splenic NKT cells with CD8, CD44high, and TCR V beta 8. Type 1 invariant TCR alpha was expressed more frequently in hepatic lymphocytes, while type 2 invariant TCR alpha was expressed predominantly in the spleen. Both types of cells cytolyzed to and were stimulated to proliferate by CD1d-expressing cells in a CD1d-restricted manner. These results suggested that rat NKT cells bearing distinct V alpha 14 chains are distributed in a tissue-specific pattern. NKT cell populations in rats were more variable than those in mice, indicating that they play novel roles in nature. The implication of the molecular interaction between the structurally diverse invariant TCR alpha and CD1d/ligand complex in different organs is discussed.

Activation of human Vα24NKT cells by α-glycosylceramide in a CD1d-restricted and Vα24TCR-mediated manner

Vα14NK(natural killer) T cells play an important role in controlling tumors or in preventing autoimmunity in the murine system. Vα24NKT cells, the human counterpart of Vα14NKT cells, may contribute to controlling the progression of autoimmune diseases in humans. These findings show the possibility that ligand(s) for these NKT cells can control the above-mentioned pathological conditions. Specific glycolipids such as α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and α-glucosylceramide (α-GlcCer) have been identified as ligand(s) recognized by murine Vα14NKT cells in a CD1d-restricted manner, but it remains unclear whether these glycolipids are ligand(s) for Vα24NKT cells in humans. To determine whether α-glycosylceramide is presented by CD1d molecules in humans, we initially established a Vα24NKT cell line specific for α-glycosylceramide using dendritic cell (DC) like cells from normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in an autologous mixed leukocyte reaction (auto-MLR) system, and characterized the Vα24NKT cell line. The Vα24NKT cells were CD3+CD4−CD8−Vα24+Vβ11+NKRP1A+ and specifically proliferated in response to α-glycosylceramide in CD1d-restricted and Vα24TCR-mediated manner. The phenotypic and functional similarities between murine Vα14NKT cells and human Vα24NKT cells suggest that Vα24NKT cells may play an important role in controlling tumors or in preventing autoimmunity as observed with Vα14NKT cells.