title: Murine thymic NK cells are distinct from ILC1s and have unique transcription factor requirements.
abstract: Group 1 innate lymphoid cells include natural killer (NK) cells and ILC1s, which mediate the response to intracellular pathogens. Thymic NK (tNK) cells were described with hybrid features of immature NK cells and ILC1 but whether these cells are related to NK cells or ILC1 has not been fully investigated. We report that murine tNK cells expressed the NK-cell associated transcription factor EOMES and developed independent of the essential ILC1 factor TBET, confirming their placement within the NK lineage. Moreover, tNK cells resemble NK cells rather than ILC1 in their requirements for the E protein transcription factor inhibitor ID2. We provide further insight into the mechanisms governing tNK-cell development by showing that the transcription factor ETS1 prevented tNK cell acquisition of the conventional NK-cell maturation markers CD11b and KLRG1. Our data reveal few ILC1 in the thymus and clarify the identity and developmental requirements of tNK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Mengxi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Erin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Zook
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Renee F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: de Pooter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Sciences (DiSB), University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.
authors.forename: Loris
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zamai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7014-1982
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Kee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051797:Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D060168:Thymocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D039481:CD11b Antigen; C491198:Eomes protein, mouse; C494042:Ets1 protein, mouse; C497452:Idb2 protein, mouse; D051797:Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2; C451496:Klrg1 protein, mouse; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: EOMES; Ets1; ILC1; Id2; Innate lymphoid cells; Natural killer cells