RORt+ Innate lymphoid cells transcriptomes after aNKp44 and cytokine stimulation

RORt+ innate lymphoid cells (ILC) are crucial players of innate immune responses and represent a major source of IL-22, which has an important role in mucosal homeostasis. The signals required by RORt+ ILC to express IL-22 and other cytokines, including TNF, have only partially been elucidated. Here we show that RORt+ ILC can directly sense the environment by the engagement of the activating receptor NKp44. NKp44 triggering in RORt+ ILC selectively activates a coordinated pro-inflammatory program, including TNF, while cytokine stimulation induces preferentially IL-22 expression. However, combined engagement of NKp44 and cytokine receptors results in a strong synergistic effect. These data support the concept that NKp44+ RORt+ ILC can be activated without cytokines and are able to switch between IL-22 or TNF production, depending on the triggering stimulus.

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Glatzer T, Killig M, Meisig J, Ommert I, Luetke-Eversloh M, Babic M, Paclik D, Blüthgen N, Seidl R, Seifarth C, Gröne J, Lenarz M, Stölzel K, Fugmann D, Porgador A, Hauser A, Karlas A, Romagnani C