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Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) lymphocytes express an invariant T cell antigen receptor (TCR) encoded by the Vα14 and Jα281 gene segments. A glycosylceramide-containing α-anomeric sugar with a longer fatty acyl chain (C26) and sphingosine base (C18) was identified as a ligand for this TCR. Glycosylceramide-mediated proliferative responses of Vα14 NKT cells were abrogated by treatment with chloroquine–concanamycin A or by monoclonal antibodies against CD1d/Vβ8, CD40/CD40L, or B7/CTLA-4/CD28, but not by interference with the function of a transporter-associated protein. Thus, this lymphocyte shares distinct recognition systems with either T or NK cells.
↵* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: taniguti{at}med.m.chiba-u.ac.jp
