Comparative gene expression analysis of NKT cell subpopulations

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a lymphocyte lineage, which has diverse immune regulatory activities in many disease settings. Most previous studies have investigated the functions of this family of cells as a single entity, but more recent evidence highlights the distinct functional and phenotypic properties of NKT cell subpopulations. It is likely that the diverse functions of NKT cells are regulated and coordinated by these different NKT subsets. Little is known about how NKT subsets differ in their interactions with the host. We have undertaken the first microarray analysis comparing the gene expression profiles of activated human NKT cell subpopulations, including CD8(+) NKT cells, which have often been overlooked. We describe the significant gene expression differences among NKT cell subpopulations and some of the molecules likely to confer their distinct functional roles. Several genes not associated previously with NKT cells were shown to be expressed differentially in specific NKT cell subpopulations. Our findings provide new insights into the NKT cell family, which may direct further research toward better manipulation of NKT cells for therapeutic applications.