Everything about Natural Killer T Cell totally explained
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a heterogeneous group of
T cells that share properties of both T cells and
natural killer (NK) cells. Many of these cells recognize the
non-polymorphic CD1d molecule, an
antigen-presenting molecule that binds self- and foreign
lipids and
glycolipids. They constitute only 0.2% of all
blood T cells.
Nomenclature
The term “NK T cells” was first used in mice to define a subset of
T cells that expressed the natural killer (NK) cell-associated marker NK1.1 (CD161). It is now generally accepted that the term “NKT cells” refers to
CD1d-restricted
T cells, present in mice and humans, coexpressing a heavily biased, semi-invariant
T cell receptor (TCR) and NK cell markers.
Natural killer T (NKT) cells shouldn't be confused with
natural killer (NK) cells.
Molecular Characterization
NKT cells are a subset of
T cells that co-express an αβ
T cell receptor (TCR), but also express a variety of molecular markers that are typically associated with NK cells, such as
NK1.1. They differ from conventional αβ T cells in that their TCRs are far more limited in diversity and in that they recognize
lipids and
glycolipids presented by
CD1d molecules, a member of the
CD1 family of antigen presenting molecules, rather than
peptide-
MHC complexes. NKT cells include both NK1.1
+ and NK1.1
-, as well as CD4
+, CD4
-, CD8
+ and CD8
- cells. Natural Killer T cells share other features with
NK cells as well, such as
CD16 and
CD56 expression and
granzyme production.
Classification
Classification of natural killer T cells into three groups has been proposed.
The clinical potential of NKT cells lies in the rapid release of cytokines (such as IL-2, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-4) that promote or suppress different immune responses.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Natural Killer T Cell'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://natural_killer_t_cell.totallyexplained.com">Natural Killer T cell Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
