Invariant NKT Cell Activation Is Potentiated by Homotypic trans-Ly108 Interactions

Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are innate lymphocytes that respond to glycolipids presented by the MHC class Ib molecule CD1d and are rapidly activated to produce large quantities of cytokines and chemokines. iNKT cell development uniquely depends on interactions between double-positive thymocytes that provide key homotypic interactions between signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family members. However, the role of SLAM receptors in the differentiation of iNKT cell effector subsets and activation has not been explored. In this article, we show that C57BL/6 mice containing the New Zealand Black Slam locus have profound alterations in Ly108, CD150, and Ly9 expression that is associated with iNKT cell hyporesponsiveness. This loss of function was only apparent when dendritic cells and iNKT cells had a loss of SLAM receptor expression. Using small interfering RNA knockdowns and peptide-blocking strategies, we demonstrated that trans-Ly108 interactions between dendritic cells and iNKT cells are critical for robust activation. LY108 costimulation similarly increased human iNKT cell activation. Thus, in addition to its established role in iNKT cell ontogeny, Ly108 regulates iNKT cell function in mice and humans.