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Cellular and molecular pathways in early stages of NK cell development

NozadCharoudeh, Hojjatollah LU (2010) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2010:27.
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells represent the third lymphoid lineage playing important role against viral infections and cancer. In contrast to B and T cell development where both cellular and regulatory pathways are well established, the development of NK cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is poorly understood. Although bone marrow (BM) represents the main site for postnatal NK cell development, recently a distinct thymic-dependent NK cell pathway was identified, implicating a possible close link between NK and T cell development in adult hematopoiesis.

To investigate whether a potential NK/T lineage restriction of multipotent progenitors might take place already in the BM, we examined the lineage potential of NK cell... (More)
Natural killer (NK) cells represent the third lymphoid lineage playing important role against viral infections and cancer. In contrast to B and T cell development where both cellular and regulatory pathways are well established, the development of NK cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is poorly understood. Although bone marrow (BM) represents the main site for postnatal NK cell development, recently a distinct thymic-dependent NK cell pathway was identified, implicating a possible close link between NK and T cell development in adult hematopoiesis.

To investigate whether a potential NK/T lineage restriction of multipotent progenitors might take place already in the BM, we examined the lineage potential of NK cell progenitors (NKPs) in adult BM. Notably, while Lin-CD122+NK1.1-DX5- NKPs fail to commit to the B and myeloid lineages, they sustain a combined NK and T cell potential, in vivo, and in vitro at the single cell level. Whereas T cell development from NK/T progenitors is Notch-dependent, their contribution to thymic and BM NK cells remains Notch-independent. These findings together demonstrate the existence of bi-potent NK/T cell progenitors in adult BM.

The common cytokine receptor γ-chain (Il2rg) essential for IL-15-induced signaling, and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) receptor, ligand (FLT3L) were previously identified as important regulatory pathways of the BM NK cell compartment, their cellular targets as well as their complementary action remain unknown. By investigating mice double-deficient in Il2rg and Flt3l (Flt3l-/-Il2rg-/-), we demonstrate that FLT3L is important for IL2Rg-independent maintenance of both immature BM as well as peripheral NK cells. In contrast to IL-7, which is dispensable for BM but important for thymic NK cells, IL-15 has a direct and important role in both thymic and BM NK cell compartments. Although thymic NK cells were not affected in Flt3l-/- mice, Flt3l-/-Il2rg-/- mice lacked detectable thymic NK cells, suggesting that FLT3L is also important for IL-2Rg-independent maintenance of thymic NK cells. Thus, IL-2Rg cytokines and FLT3L play complementary roles and are indispensable for homeostasis of both BM and thymic dependent NK cell development, suggesting that the cytokine pathways crucial for these two distinct NK cell pathways are largely overlapping. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Kärre, Klas, Dep of Microbiology
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2010:27
pages
120 pages
publisher
Lund Research Center for Stem Cell Biology
defense location
Segerfalksalen
defense date
2010-02-26 09:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-86443-41-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9e19c95d-28e7-4443-825a-8e514ffb9d12 (old id 1544689)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:40:39
date last changed
2020-09-28 11:22:22
@phdthesis{9e19c95d-28e7-4443-825a-8e514ffb9d12,
  abstract     = {{Natural killer (NK) cells represent the third lymphoid lineage playing important role against viral infections and cancer. In contrast to B and T cell development where both cellular and regulatory pathways are well established, the development of NK cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is poorly understood. Although bone marrow (BM) represents the main site for postnatal NK cell development, recently a distinct thymic-dependent NK cell pathway was identified, implicating a possible close link between NK and T cell development in adult hematopoiesis. <br/><br>
To investigate whether a potential NK/T lineage restriction of multipotent progenitors might take place already in the BM, we examined the lineage potential of NK cell progenitors (NKPs) in adult BM. Notably, while Lin-CD122+NK1.1-DX5- NKPs fail to commit to the B and myeloid lineages, they sustain a combined NK and T cell potential, in vivo, and in vitro at the single cell level. Whereas T cell development from NK/T progenitors is Notch-dependent, their contribution to thymic and BM NK cells remains Notch-independent. These findings together demonstrate the existence of bi-potent NK/T cell progenitors in adult BM.<br/><br>
The common cytokine receptor γ-chain (Il2rg) essential for IL-15-induced signaling, and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) receptor, ligand (FLT3L) were previously identified as important regulatory pathways of the BM NK cell compartment, their cellular targets as well as their complementary action remain unknown. By investigating mice double-deficient in Il2rg and Flt3l (Flt3l-/-Il2rg-/-), we demonstrate that FLT3L is important for IL2Rg-independent maintenance of both immature BM as well as peripheral NK cells. In contrast to IL-7, which is dispensable for BM but important for thymic NK cells, IL-15 has a direct and important role in both thymic and BM NK cell compartments. Although thymic NK cells were not affected in Flt3l-/- mice, Flt3l-/-Il2rg-/- mice lacked detectable thymic NK cells, suggesting that FLT3L is also important for IL-2Rg-independent maintenance of thymic NK cells. Thus, IL-2Rg cytokines and FLT3L play complementary roles and are indispensable for homeostasis of both BM and thymic dependent NK cell development, suggesting that the cytokine pathways crucial for these two distinct NK cell pathways are largely overlapping.}},
  author       = {{NozadCharoudeh, Hojjatollah}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-86443-41-2}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund Research Center for Stem Cell Biology}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{Cellular and molecular pathways in early stages of NK cell development}},
  volume       = {{2010:27}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}