title: TGF-β is responsible for NK cell immaturity during ontogeny and increased susceptibility to infection during mouse infancy.
abstract: A large gap in our understanding of infant immunity is why natural killer (NK) cell responses are deficient, which makes infants more prone to viral infection. Here we demonstrate that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was responsible for NK cell immaturity during infancy. We found more fully mature NK cells in CD11c(dnR) mice, whose NK cells lack TGF-β receptor (TGF-βR) signaling. Ontogenic maturation of NK cells progressed faster in the absence of TGF-β signaling, which results in the formation of a mature NK cell pool early in life. As a consequence, infant CD11c(dnR) mice efficiently controlled viral infections. These data thus demonstrate an unprecedented role for TGF-β in ontogeny that can explain why NK cell responses are deficient early in life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Marcoe
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Keri L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schaubert
authors.forename: Nassima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fodil-Cornu
authors.forename: Marsel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matka
authors.forename: Alexandra L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McCubbrey
authors.forename: Alexander R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Farr
authors.forename: Silvia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Yasmina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Laouar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013234:Stem Cells; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta