Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system where they can control virus infections and developing tumors by cytotoxicity and production of inflammatory cytokines. Most studies of mouse NK cells, however, have focused on conventional NK (cNK) cells found in the spleen. Recently, we described two populations of NK cells within the liver, tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells and those resembling splenic cNK cells. However, the lineage relationship of trNK to cNK cells was unclear because trNK cells display a phenotype associated with immature, developing cNK cells. Moreover, liver trNK cells could be related to thymic NK cells or alternatively, a lineage distinct from both cNK and thymic NK cells. Herein we used detailed transcriptomic, flow cytometric, and functional analysis of mice deficient in several transcription factors to determine that liver trNK cells form a distinct lineage from cNK and thymic NK cells, especially because they do not require NFIL3 (E4BP4), the previously described NK cellspecification factor. Analysis of other tissues indicate the presence of trNK cells in skin and uterus with different transcription factor requirements. Thus, there are at least four distinct lineages of NK cells: cNK, thymic, liver (and skin) trNK, and uterine trNK cells. Liver NK 1.1+CD49+, liver NK 1.1+CD49-, spleen NK 1.1+ CD49- populations of NK cells were sorted with FACS pooling cells from individual mice to end up with ~100k cells for each samples. mRNA was derived from lysates using Invitrogen oligo-dT beads
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system where they can control virus infections and developing tumors by cytotoxicity and production of inflammatory cytokines. Most studies of mouse NK cells, however, have focused on conventional NK (cNK) cells found in the spleen. Recently, we described two populations of NK cells within the liver, tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells and those resembling splenic cNK cells. However, the lineage relationship of trNK to cNK cells was unclear because trNK cells display a phenotype associated with immature, developing cNK cells. Moreover, liver trNK cells could be related to thymic NK cells or alternatively, a lineage distinct from both cNK and thymic NK cells. Herein we used detailed transcriptomic, flow cytometric, and functional analysis of mice deficient in several transcription factors to determine that liver trNK cells form a distinct lineage from cNK and thymic NK cells, especially because they do not require NFIL3 (E4BP4), the previously described NK cellspecification factor. Analysis of other tissues indicate the presence of trNK cells in skin and uterus with different transcription factor requirements. Thus, there are at least four distinct lineages of NK cells: cNK, thymic, liver (and skin) trNK, and uterine trNK cells. Liver DX5-CD49+, liver DX5+CD49-, spleen DX5+ CD49- populations of NK cells were sorted with FACS pooling cells from individual mice to end up with ~100k cells for each samples. mRNA was derived from lysates using Invitrogen oligo-dT beads
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system where they can control virus infections and developing tumors by cytotoxicity and production of inflammatory cytokines. Most studies of mouse NK cells, however, have focused on conventional NK (cNK) cells found in the spleen. Recently, we described two populations of NK cells within the liver, tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells and those resembling splenic cNK cells. However, the lineage relationship of trNK to cNK cells was unclear because trNK cells display a phenotype associated with immature, developing cNK cells. Moreover, liver trNK cells could be related to thymic NK cells or alternatively, a lineage distinct from both cNK and thymic NK cells. Herein we used detailed transcriptomic, flow cytometric, and functional analysis of mice deficient in several transcription factors to determine that liver trNK cells form a distinct lineage from cNK and thymic NK cells, especially because they do not require NFIL3 (E4BP4), the previously described NK cellspecification factor. Analysis of other tissues indicate the presence of trNK cells in skin and uterus with different transcription factor requirements. Thus, there are at least four distinct lineages of NK cells: cNK, thymic, liver (and skin) trNK, and uterine trNK cells.
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the innate immune system where they can control virus infections and developing tumors by cytotoxicity and production of inflammatory cytokines. Most studies of mouse NK cells, however, have focused on conventional NK (cNK) cells found in the spleen. Recently, we described two populations of NK cells within the liver, tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells and those resembling splenic cNK cells. However, the lineage relationship of trNK to cNK cells was unclear because trNK cells display a phenotype associated with immature, developing cNK cells. Moreover, liver trNK cells could be related to thymic NK cells or alternatively, a lineage distinct from both cNK and thymic NK cells. Herein we used detailed transcriptomic, flow cytometric, and functional analysis of mice deficient in several transcription factors to determine that liver trNK cells form a distinct lineage from cNK and thymic NK cells, especially because they do not require NFIL3 (E4BP4), the previously described NK cellspecification factor. Analysis of other tissues indicate the presence of trNK cells in skin and uterus with different transcription factor requirements. Thus, there are at least four distinct lineages of NK cells: cNK, thymic, liver (and skin) trNK, and uterine trNK cells.
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells can be grouped into distinct subsets that are localized to different organs and exhibit different capacity to secrete cytokines and mediate cytotoxicity. Despite these hallmarks that reflect tissue-specific specialization in NK cells, little is known about the factors that control the development of these distinct subsets. The basic leucine zipper transcription factor nuclear factor interleukin 3 (Nfil3; E4bp4) is essential for bone marrow-derived NK cell development but it is not clear whether Nfil3 is equally important for all NK cell subsets nor how it induces NK lineage commitment. Here we show that Nfil3 is required for the formation of Eomesodermin (Eomes)-expressing NK cells, including conventional medullary and thymic NK cells, whereas TRAIL+ Eomes- NK cells develop independent of Nfil3. Loss of Nfil3 during the development of bone marrow-derived NK cells resulted in reduced expression of Eomes and, conversely, restoration of Eomes expression in Nfil3-/- progenitors rescued NK cell development and maturation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Nfil3 drives the formation of mature NK cell by inducing Eomes expression and reveal the differential requirements of NK cell subsets for Nfil3. RNA-sequencing of natural killer (NK) cell subsets
Project description:The aim of this study was to analyze the global transcriptional profiles of small intestine (SI) Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs) expressing the NK cell marker NKp46. Based on differential expression of the RORgt transcription factor SI NKp46+ ILCs can be divided in NKp46+RORgt- and NKp46+RORgt+ cells. While NKp46+RORgt- cells produce IFN-g, like conventional Natural Killer (NK) cells, NKp46+RORgt+ cells secrete IL-22, like Lymphoid Tissue inducer (LTi) cells. We compared the global transcriptional profiles of both NKp46+RORgt- and NKp46+RORgt+ cells to conventional splenic NK cells and to SI NKp46-RORgt+ cells, which contain adult LTi cells. By following this approach, we showed that SI NKp46+RORγt- ILCs correspond to SI NK cells. We also identified a transcriptional program conserved in adult SI NKp46+RORγt+, NKp46-RORγt+ ILCs and fetal LTi. The various ILC cell populations analyzed in this study were isolated from C57BL/6 RORc(gt)+/GFP reporter mice. SI NKp46+RORγt- (NKp46+GFP-) cells, SI NKp46+RORγt+ cells (NKp46+GFPlow and NKp46+GFPhigh cells) and NKp46-RORγt+ ILCs, including adult LTi cells , were sorted by flow cytometry from CD3- lamina propria cells of small intestine (SI) of RORc(γt)+/GFP reporter mice . Splenic NKp46+RORγt- (NKp46+GFP-) cells were also sorted as the reference for conventional NK cells. Two replicates of each populations were produced and analyzed.
Project description:Hepatic Natural Killer (he-NK) cells are innate immune effectors that contribute to immune tolerance and eliminate dangerous “non-self” antigens. He-NK cells fall into two groups, liver resident (rNK) cells, mainly cytokine secretors, and infiltrating conventional NK (cNK) cells, which are cytotoxic. He-NK cell dysfunction and contribution to end-stage liver disease are not fully understood. The present study evaluates the transcriptomes of he-NK subpopulations in chronic hepatic disease of different etiologies, including sterile inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - NASH), autoimmunity (primary sclerosing cholangitis - PSC), and viral infection (hepatitis C - HCV).
Project description:The aim of this study was to analyze the global transcriptional profiles of small intestine (SI) Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs) expressing the NK cell marker NKp46. Based on differential expression of the RORgt transcription factor SI NKp46+ ILCs can be divided in NKp46+RORgt- and NKp46+RORgt+ cells. While NKp46+RORgt- cells produce IFN-g, like conventional Natural Killer (NK) cells, NKp46+RORgt+ cells secrete IL-22, like Lymphoid Tissue inducer (LTi) cells. We compared the global transcriptional profiles of both NKp46+RORgt- and NKp46+RORgt+ cells to conventional splenic NK cells and to SI NKp46-RORgt+ cells, which contain adult LTi cells. By following this approach, we showed that SI NKp46+RORγt- ILCs correspond to SI NK cells. We also identified a transcriptional program conserved in adult SI NKp46+RORγt+, NKp46-RORγt+ ILCs and fetal LTi.