Altered development of NKT cells, γδ T cells, CD8 T cells and NK cells in a PLZF deficient patient

PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24441. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024441. Epub 2011 Sep 6.

Abstract

In mice, the transcription factor, PLZF, controls the development of effector functions in invariant NKT cells and a subset of NKT cell-like, γδ T cells. Here, we show that in human lymphocytes, in addition to invariant NKT cells, PLZF was also expressed in a large percentage of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, PLZF was also found to be expressed in all γδ T cells and in all NK cells. Importantly, we show that in a donor lacking functional PLZF, all of these various lymphocyte populations were altered. Therefore, in contrast to mice, PLZF appears to control the development and/or function of a wide variety of human lymphocytes that represent more than 10% of the total PBMCs. Interestingly, the PLZF-expressing CD8+ T cell population was found to be expanded in the peripheral blood of patients with metastatic melanoma but was greatly diminished in patients with autoimmune disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism*
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / deficiency*
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / metabolism
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / metabolism*
  • Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism*

Substances

  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta
  • ZBTB16 protein, human