The role of alpha-galactosylceramide-activated Valpha14 natural killer T cells in the regulation of Th2 cell differentiation.
Valpha14 natural killer T (NKT) cells produce large amounts of both IL-4 and IFN-gamma upon stimulation with a ligand, alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), and play a crucial role in various immune responses, including allergic diseases. Interestingly, Valpha14 NKT cells are not essential for the induction of IgE responses but rather induce suppression of specific IgE production upon activation. The suppression in the IgE production is not detected either in Valpha14 NKT cell-deficient mice or in IFN-gamma-deficient mice. Thus, activated Valpha14 NKT cells are likely to exert a potent suppressive activity on Th2 cell differentiation and subsequent IgE production by producing a large amount of IFN-gamma. In marked contrast, little regulatory effect of IL-4 produced by Valpha14 NKT cells on Th2 cell differentiation is suggested.
Nakayama
T
T
CREST (Core Research for Evolution Science and Technology) Project, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Department of Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
Yamashita
M
M
Kawano
T
T
Shimizu
C
C
Shibata
Y
Y
Kamata
T
T
Kaneko
Y
Y
Kobayashi
S
S
Takeda
U
U
Motohashi
S
S
Cui
J
J
Taniguchi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D005699:Galactosylceramides; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma