Phenotypic and functional plasticity of murine intestinal NKp46+ group 3 innate lymphoid cells

T Verrier, N Satoh-Takayama, N Serafini… - The Journal of …, 2016 - journals.aai.org
T Verrier, N Satoh-Takayama, N Serafini, S Marie, JP Di Santo, CAJ Vosshenrich
The Journal of Immunology, 2016journals.aai.org
Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) actively participate in mucosal defense and
homeostasis through prompt secretion of IL-17A, IL-22, and IFN-γ. Reports identify two ILC3
lineages: a CCR6+ T-bet− subset that appears early in embryonic development and
promotes lymphoid organogenesis and a CCR6− T-bet+ subset that emerges after microbial
colonization and harbors NKp46+ ILC3. We demonstrate that NKp46 expression in the ILC3
subset is highly unstable. Cell fate mapping using Ncr1 CreGFP× Rosa26 RFP mice …
Abstract
Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) actively participate in mucosal defense and homeostasis through prompt secretion of IL-17A, IL-22, and IFN-γ. Reports identify two ILC3 lineages: a CCR6+ T-bet− subset that appears early in embryonic development and promotes lymphoid organogenesis and a CCR6− T-bet+ subset that emerges after microbial colonization and harbors NKp46+ ILC3. We demonstrate that NKp46 expression in the ILC3 subset is highly unstable. Cell fate mapping using Ncr1 CreGFP× Rosa26 RFP mice revealed the existence of an intestinal RFP+ ILC3 subset (Ncr1 FM) lacking NKp46 expression at the transcript and protein levels. Ncr1 FM ILC3 produced more IL-22 and were distinguishable from NKp46+ ILC3 by differential CD117, CD49a, DNAX accessory molecule-1, and, surprisingly, CCR6 expression. Ncr1 FM ILC3 emerged after birth and persisted in adult mice following broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment. These results identify an unexpected phenotypic instability within NKp46+ ILC3 that suggests a major role for environmental signals in tuning ILC3 functional plasticity.
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