Identification of α-galactosylceramide as an endogenous mammalian antigen for iNKT cells.

ABSTRACT: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are unconventional T cells recognizing lipid antigens in a CD1d-restricted manner. Among these lipid antigens, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), which was originally identified in marine sponges, is the most potent antigen. Although the presence of α-anomeric hexosylceramide and microbiota-derived branched α-GalCer is reported, antigenic α-GalCer has not been identified in mammals. Here, we developed a high-resolution separation and detection system, supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SFC/MS/MS), that can discriminate hexosylceramide diastereomers (α-GalCer, α-GlcCer, β-GalCer, or β-GlcCer). The B16 melanoma tumor cell line does not activate iNKT cells; however, ectopic expression of CD1d was sufficient to activate iNKT cells

SUBMITTER: Hosono Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11660903 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature