Rapid and reliable generation of invariant natural killer T‐cell lines in vitro

Jan 14, 2010Immunology

Fast and consistent creation of natural killer T-cell lines in the lab

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Abstract

iNKT cells experienced a 100-fold increase in number within 2 weeks after stimulation.

Long-term primary murine iNKT cell lines can be rapidly generated from splenic iNKT cells of V alpha14 T-cell receptor transgenic mice.
These iNKT cells proliferated dramatically when stimulated with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells loaded with alpha-galactosylceramide.
The cell lines produced interferon-gamma when activated by specific immune stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide or CpG oligodeoxynucleotide.
Cytokine production was observed in response to microbial antigens, indicating functional responsiveness of the iNKT cell lines.
The generated iNKT cell lines may serve as valuable tools for studying iNKT cell subsets and their various immune functions.

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Several tools have proved useful in the study of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, including CD1d-deficient mice, J alpha281-deficient mice, synthetic lipid antigens and antigen-loaded CD1d tetramers. However, the generation and examination of long-term primary murine iNKT cell lines in vitro has been challenging. Here, we show the rapid generation of iNKT cell lines from splenic iNKT cells of V alpha14 T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (Tg) mice. These purified iNKT cells were stimulated by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) loaded with alpha-galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) and cultured with interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-7. iNKT cells proliferated dramatically, and the cell number exhibited a 100-fold increase within 2 weeks and a 10(5)-fold increase in 8 weeks after repeated stimulation with alphaGalCer. The iNKT cell lines consisted of iNKT cells expressing V beta chains including V beta8.1/8.2, V beta14, V beta10, V beta6 and V beta7, and responded to stimulation with alphaGalCer presented both by BMDCs and by plate-bound CD1d. In addition, the iNKT cell lines produced interferon (IFN)-gamma when activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN)-stimulated BMDCs. Further, we show that iNKT cell lines produced cytokines in response to microbial antigens. In summary, high-yield iNKT cell lines were generated very rapidly and robustly expanded, and these iNKT cells responded to both TCR and cytokine stimulation in vitro. Given the desire to study primary iNKT cells for many purposes, these iNKT cell lines should provide an important tool for the study of iNKT cell subsets, antigen and TCR specificity, activation, inactivation and effector functions.

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