Innate-like functions of natural killer T cell subsets result from highly divergent gene programs.
Isaac EngelGrégory SeumoisLukas ChavezDaniela Samaniego-CastruitaBrandie WhiteAshu ChawlaDennis MockPandurangan VijayanandMitchell KronenbergPublished in: Nature immunology (2016)
Natural killer T cells (NKT cells) have stimulatory or inhibitory effects on the immune response that can be attributed in part to the existence of functional subsets of NKT cells. These subsets have been characterized only on the basis of the differential expression of a few transcription factors and cell-surface molecules. Here we have analyzed purified populations of thymic NKT cell subsets at both the transcriptomic level and epigenomic level and by single-cell RNA sequencing. Our data indicated that despite their similar antigen specificity, the functional NKT cell subsets were highly divergent populations with many gene-expression and epigenetic differences. Therefore, the thymus 'imprints' distinct gene programs on subsets of innate-like NKT cells that probably impart differences in proliferative capacity, homing, and effector functions.
Keyphrases
- single cell
- immune response
- induced apoptosis
- gene expression
- peripheral blood
- cell cycle arrest
- rna seq
- dna methylation
- transcription factor
- public health
- stem cells
- signaling pathway
- genome wide
- high throughput
- cell therapy
- dendritic cells
- oxidative stress
- cell death
- inflammatory response
- mesenchymal stem cells
- pi k akt
- copy number
- toll like receptor
- machine learning
- regulatory t cells
- deep learning
- genetic diversity