Recognition of bacterial glycosphingolipids by natural killer T cells

摘要: Natural killer T (NKT) cells constitute a highly conserved lymphocyte subpopulation that has the potential to regulate many types of immune responses through rapid secretion cytokines1,2. NKT recognize glycolipids presented by CD1d, class I-like antigen-presenting molecule. They have an invariant T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) α-chain, but whether this TCR recognizes microbial antigens is still controversial. Here we show most mouse and human glycosphingolipids from Sphingomonas, Gram-negative bacteria do not contain lipopolysaccharide3,4,5. are activated in vivo after exposure these bacterial or bacteria, mice lack marked defect clearance Sphingomonas liver. These data suggest lymphocytes provide innate-type response certain microorganisms recognition their receptor, they might be useful providing protection cannot detected pattern receptors such as Toll-like 4.