title: Interplay between carbohydrate and lipid in recognition of glycolipid antigens by natural killer T cells.
abstract: Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a T cell subpopulation that were named originally based on coexpression of receptors found on natural killer (NK) cells, cells of the innate immune system, and by T lymphocytes. The maturation and activation of NKT cells requires presentation of glycolipid antigens by CD1d, a cell surface protein distantly related to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded antigen presenting molecules. This specificity distinguishes NKT cells from most CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells that recognize peptides presented by MHC class I and class II molecules. The rapid secretion of a large amount of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines by activated NKT cells endows them with the ability to play a vital role in the host immune defense against various microbial infections. In this review, we summarize progress on identifying the sources of microbe-derived glycolipid antigens recognized by NKT cells and the biochemical basis for their recognition.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, California, USA
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vela
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zajonc
authors.forename: Mitchell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000941:Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D001898:Borrelia / Q000276:immunology; D005699:Galactosylceramides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D018949:Antigens, CD1; D005699:Galactosylceramides; D006017:Glycolipids; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C493154:alpha-galactosylceramide