| First Author | Elewaut D | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 165 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 671-9 |
| PubMed ID | 10878339 | Mgi Jnum | J:106601 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3619086 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.165.2.671 |
| Citation | Elewaut D, et al. (2000) Membrane lymphotoxin is required for the development of different subpopulations of NK T cells. J Immunol 165(2):671-9 |
| abstractText | The development of lymphoid organs requires membrane-bound lymphotoxin (LT), a heterotrimer containing LTalpha and LTbeta, but the effects of LT on T cell function have not been characterized extensively. Upon TCR cross-linking in vitro, splenocytes from both LTalpha-/- and LTbeta-/- mice failed to produce IL-4 and IL-10 due to a reduction in NK T cells. Concordantly, LTalpha-/- and LTbeta-/- mice did not respond to the lipoglycan alpha-galactosylceramide, which is presented by mouse CD1 to Valpha14+ NK T cells. Interestingly, both populations of NK T cells, including those that are mouse CD1 dependent and alpha-galactosylceramide reactive and those that are not, were affected by disruption of the LTalpha and LTbeta genes. NK T cells were not affected, however, in transgenic mice in which LT signaling is blocked, beginning on day 3 after birth, by expression of a soluble decoy LTbeta receptor. This suggests that membrane-bound LT is critical for NK T cells early in ontogeny, but not for the homeostasis of mature cells. |
