title: Developmental program of mouse Valpha14i NKT cells.
abstract: Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a distinct lymphocyte lineage that regulates immune responses. During their development in the thymus, immature uncommitted double-positive CD4+CD8+ thymocytes that rearrange the semi-invariant T-cell receptor found on mature NKT cells are positively selected by the non-classical MHC class I molecule CD1d, which is expressed at the surface of cortical thymocytes. At this stage, the positively selected cells branch off from the conventional T-cell developmental program and start to acquire activated and/or memory markers and several 'bona fide' NK cell attributes. Recent work has started to reveal the specific developmental requirements for this divergent pathway of differentiation. These include several signal transduction molecules, transcription factors and cytokines, including T-bet, members of the NF-kappaB family, Fyn and IL-15.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Department of Immunology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, Colorado 80206, USA. matsudaj@njc.org
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gapin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors