Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique immunoregulatory T cell population that is positively selected by CD1d-expressing thymocytes. Previous studies have shown that NKT cells exhibit autoreactivity, which raises the question of whether they are subject to negative selection. Here, we report that the addition of agonist glycolipid α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) to a fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC) induces a dose-dependent disappearance of NKT cells, suggesting that NKT cells are susceptible to negative selection. Overexpression of CD1d in transgenic (Tg) mice results in reduced numbers of NKT cells, and the residual NKT cells in CD1d-Tg mice exhibit both an altered Vβ usage and a reduced sensitivity to antigen. Furthermore, bone marrow (BM) chimeras between Tg and WT mice reveal that CD1d-expressing BM-derived dendritic cells, but not thymic epithelial cells, mediate the efficient negative selection of NKT cells. Thus, our data suggest that NKT cells developmentally undergo negative selection when engaged by high-avidity antigen or abundant self-antigen.

NK T (NKT) cells expressing the invariant Vα14-Jα18 TCR α-chain recognize glycolipid Ags such as α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) presented by the MHC class I-like molecule CD1d. Upon activation by α-GalCer, invariant NKT cells secrete multiple cytokines and confer protection in certain immune-mediated disorders. Here we have investigated the role of NKT cells in the development of inflammatory dermatitis in MRL-lpr/lpr mice, which shares features with lupus in humans. Our results show that the numbers Sand functions of NKT (TCRβ+CD1d/α-GalCer tetramer+) cells, particularly of the NK1.1− subset, are reduced in MRL-lpr/lpr mice compared with MRL-fas/fas and/or nonautoimmune C3H/Hej and BALB/c mice. Repeated treatments with α-GalCer result in the expansion of NKT cells and alleviate dermatitis in MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Our results indicate that NKT cell deficiency can be corrected by repeated α-GalCer treatment and that NKT cells may play a protective role in inflammatory dermatitis of lupus-prone mice.

Dectin-1 signalling in dendritic cells (DCs) has an important role in triggering protective antifungal Th17 responses. However, whether dectin-1 directs DCs to prime antitumour Th9 cells remains unclear. Here, we show that DCs activated by dectin-1 agonists potently promote naive CD4+ T cells to differentiate into Th9 cells. Abrogation of dectin-1 in DCs completely abolishes their Th9-polarizing capability in response to dectin-1 agonist curdlan. Notably, dectin-1 stimulation of DCs upregulates TNFSF15 and OX40L, which are essential for dectin-1-activated DC-induced Th9 cell priming. Mechanistically, dectin-1 activates Syk, Raf1 and NF-κB signalling pathways, resulting in increased p50 and RelB nuclear translocation and TNFSF15 and OX40L expression. Furthermore, immunization of tumour-bearing mice with dectin-1-activated DCs induces potent antitumour response that depends on Th9 cells and IL-9 induced by dectin-1-activated DCs in vivo. Our results identify dectin-1-activated DCs as a powerful inducer of Th9 cells and antitumour immunity and may have important clinical implications.

Exposure to certain viruses and parasites has been shown to prevent the induction of transplantation tolerance in mice via the generation of cross-reactive memory T cell responses or the induction of bystander activation. Bacterial infections are common in the perioperative period of solid organ allograft recipients in the clinic, and correlations between bacterial infections and acute allograft rejection have been reported. However, whether bacterial infections at the time of transplantation have any effect on the generation of transplantation tolerance remains to be established. We used the Gram-positive intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (LM) as a model pathogen because its effects on immune responses are well described. Perioperative LM infection prevented cardiac and skin allograft acceptance induced by anti-CD154 and donor-specific transfusion in mice. LM-mediated rejection was not due to the generation of cross-reactive T cells and was largely independent of signaling via MyD88, an adaptor for most TLRs, IL-1, and IL-18. Instead, transplant rejection following LM infection was dependent on the expression of the phagosome-lysing pore former listeriolysin O and on type I IFN receptor signaling. Our results indicate that bacterial exposure at the time of transplantation can antagonize tolerogenic regimens by enhancing alloantigen-specific immune responses independently of the generation of cross-reactive memory T cells.