title: IL-6 promotes NK cell production of IL-17 during toxoplasmosis.
abstract: Previous studies have implicated T cell production of IL-17 in resistance to Toxoplasma gondii as well as the development of immune-mediated pathology during this infection. Analysis of C57BL/6 and C57BL/6 RAG(-/-) mice challenged with T. gondii-identified NK cells as a major innate source of IL-17. The ability of soluble Toxoplasma Ag to stimulate NK cells to produce IL-17 was dependent on the presence of accessory cells and the production of IL-6, IL-23, and TGF-beta. In contrast, these events were inhibited by IL-2, IL-15, and IL-27. Given that IL-6 was one of the most potent enhancers of NK cell production of IL-17, further studies revealed that only a subset of NK cells expressed both chains of the IL-6R, IL-6 upregulated expression of the Th17-associated transcription factor RORgammat, and that IL-6(-/-) mice challenged with T. gondii had a major defect in NK cell production of IL-17. Together, these data indicate that many of the same cytokines that regulate Th17 cells are part of a conserved pathway that also control innate production of IL-17 and identify a major role for IL-6 in the regulation of NK cell responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Sara T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Aisling C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: O'Hara
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sehy
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Stumhofer
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C098680:Il17a protein, mouse; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; C064658:RAG-1 protein