Transcriptome and chromatin landscape of iNKT cells are shaped by subset differentiation and antigen exposure.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33664261.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-21574-w and PMC identifier 7933435.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) differentiate into thymic and peripheral NKT1, NKT2 and NKT17 subsets. Here we use RNA-seq and ATAC-seq analyses and show iNKT subsets are similar, regardless of tissue location. Lung iNKT cell subsets possess the most distinct location-specific features, shared with other innate lymphocytes in the lung, possibly consistent with increased activation. Following antigenic stimulation, iNKT cells undergo chromatin and transcriptional changes delineating two populations: one similar to follicular helper T cells and the other NK or effector like. Phenotypic analysis indicates these changes are observed long-term, suggesting that iNKT cells gene programs are not fixed, but they are capable of chromatin remodeling after antigen to give rise to additional subsets.
Medical subject headings
- Lung
- Natural Killer T-Cells
- T Follicular Helper Cells
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets
- Thymus Gland