title: Analyzing antigen recognition by Natural Killer T cells.
abstract: Natural Killer T (NKT) cells are a subset of T lymphocytes that recognize a wide variety of lipid antigens presented by CD1 molecules. NKT cells exhibit rapid activation after recognition of cognate antigens, secrete abundant amounts of T helper (Th) 1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines within hours of activation and shape the immune response through subsequent activation of dendritic, NK, T and B cells. NKT cells therefore play central roles in antimicrobial and anticancer immunity and in modulation of various autoimmune disorders. Consequently, recent research has focused on the discovery of microbial and self-antigens involved in NKT cell activation. In this chapter, we discuss different strategies for studying antigen recognition by NKT cells including CD1d tetramer-based approaches and in vitro assays characterizing NKT cell activation in response to lipid antigen presentation. While toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and cytokines such as IL-12 are critical for NKT cell activation in vivo, particularly in the context of microbial infection, methods for detection of TLR- and cytokine-dependent NKT cell activation will not be discussed in this section.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.|Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Zeissig
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Torsten
authors: T
authors: Olszak
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Espen
authors: E
authors: Melum
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Richard S
authors: RS
authors: Blumberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D019281:Dimerization; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D018949:Antigens, CD1; C419394:CD1b antigen; D008055:Lipids