title: Shared and distinct transcriptional programs underlie the hybrid nature of iNKT cells.
abstract: Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) are innate-like T lymphocytes that act as critical regulators of the immune response. To better characterize this population, we profiled gene expression in iNKT cells during ontogeny and in peripheral subsets as part of the Immunological Genome Project. High-resolution comparative transcriptional analyses defined developmental and subset-specific programs of gene expression by iNKT cells. In addition, we found that iNKT cells shared an extensive transcriptional program with NK cells, similar in magnitude to that shared with major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted T cells. Notably, the program shared by NK cells and iNKT cells also operated constitutively in γδ T cells and in adaptive T cells after activation. Together our findings highlight a core effector program regulated distinctly in innate and adaptive lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Nadia R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shay
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brigl
authors.forename: Joonsoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D059467:Transcriptome