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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation
Published on: January 1, 2008
Membrane lymphotoxin is required for the development of different subpopulations of NK T cells
D Elewaut1, L Brossay, S M Santee
1Division of Developmental Immunology and Division of Molecular Immunology, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
Abstract:
The development of lymphoid organs requires membrane-bound lymphotoxin (LT), a heterotrimer containing LTalpha and LTbeta, but the effects of LT on T cell function have not been characterized extensively. Upon TCR cross-linking in vitro, splenocytes from both LTalpha-/- and LTbeta-/- mice failed to produce IL-4 and IL-10 due to a reduction in NK T cells. Concordantly, LTalpha-/- and LTbeta-/- mice did not respond to the lipoglycan alpha-galactosylceramide, which is presented by mouse CD1 to Valpha14+ NK T cells. Interestingly, both populations of NK T cells, including those that are mouse CD1 dependent and alpha-galactosylceramide reactive and those that are not, were affected by disruption of the LTalpha and LTbeta genes. NK T cells were not affected, however, in transgenic mice in which LT signaling is blocked, beginning on day 3 after birth, by expression of a soluble decoy LTbeta receptor. This suggests that membrane-bound LT is critical for NK T cells early in ontogeny, but not for the homeostasis of mature cells.
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