| First Author | Hu T | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | e19890 |
| PubMed ID | 21572967 | Mgi Jnum | J:172652 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5008500 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0019890 |
| Citation | Hu T, et al. (2011) The Ras/MAPK Pathway Is Required for Generation of iNKT Cells. PLoS One 6(5):e19890 |
| abstractText | iNKT cells derive from CD4(+)CD8(+) DP thymocytes, and are selected by thymocyte-thymocyte interactions through signals from their invariant Valpha14-Jalpha18 TCR and from the costimulatory molecules SLAMF1 and SLAMF6. Genetic studies have demonstrated the contribution of different signaling pathways to this process. Surprisingly, current models imply that the Ras/MAPK pathway, one of the critical mediators of conventional alphabeta T cell positive selection, is not necessary for iNKT cell development. Using mice defective at different levels of this pathway our results refute this paradigm, and demonstrate that Ras, and its downstream effectors Egr-1 and Egr-2 are required for positive selection of iNKT cells. Interestingly our results also show that there are differences in the contributions of several of these molecules to the development of iNKT and conventional alphabeta T cells. |
