High Metabolic Function and Resilience of NKG2A-Educated NK Cells

TY - JOUR

T1 - High Metabolic Function and Resilience of NKG2A-Educated NK Cells

AU - Highton, Andrew J

AU - Diercks, Björn-Philipp

AU - Möckl, Franziska

AU - Martrus, Gloria

AU - Sauter, Jürgen

AU - Schmidt, Alexander H

AU - Bunders, Madeleine J

AU - Körner, Christian

AU - Guse, Andreas H

AU - Altfeld, Marcus

N1 - Copyright © 2020 Highton, Diercks, Möckl, Martrus, Sauter, Schmidt, Bunders, Körner, Guse and Altfeld.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Natural killer (NK) cells are an important component of the innate immune system for the control of intracellular pathogens and cancer cells. NK cells demonstrate heterogeneous expression of inhibitory surface receptors. Signaling through these various receptors during NK cell development promotes functionality, referred to as NK cell education. Here we investigated the impact of education on NK cell metabolism through functional assessment of critical metabolic pathways and calcium signaling. Educated NK cells had an increased uptake of the metabolic substrates 2-NBDG, a fluorescent glucose analog, and BODIPY FL C16, a fluorescent palmitate, compared to uneducated NK cells. Comparison of NK cells educated via KIRs or NKG2A showed that NKG2A-educated NK cells were the main contributor to these differences in uptake of metabolites, and that NKG2A-educated NK cells were functionally more resilient in response to metabolic blockade of oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, NKG2A-educated NK cells exhibited higher peak calcium concentration following stimulation, indicating stronger signaling events taking place in these educated NK cells. These results demonstrate that cellular metabolism plays an important role in the functional differences observed between educated and uneducated NK cells, and show that NKG2A-educated NK cells remain more functionally competent than KIR-educated NK cells when oxidative phosphorylation is restricted. Understanding metabolic programming during NK cell education may unveil future targets to manipulate NK cell function for use in clinical settings, such as cancer therapies.

AB - Natural killer (NK) cells are an important component of the innate immune system for the control of intracellular pathogens and cancer cells. NK cells demonstrate heterogeneous expression of inhibitory surface receptors. Signaling through these various receptors during NK cell development promotes functionality, referred to as NK cell education. Here we investigated the impact of education on NK cell metabolism through functional assessment of critical metabolic pathways and calcium signaling. Educated NK cells had an increased uptake of the metabolic substrates 2-NBDG, a fluorescent glucose analog, and BODIPY FL C16, a fluorescent palmitate, compared to uneducated NK cells. Comparison of NK cells educated via KIRs or NKG2A showed that NKG2A-educated NK cells were the main contributor to these differences in uptake of metabolites, and that NKG2A-educated NK cells were functionally more resilient in response to metabolic blockade of oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, NKG2A-educated NK cells exhibited higher peak calcium concentration following stimulation, indicating stronger signaling events taking place in these educated NK cells. These results demonstrate that cellular metabolism plays an important role in the functional differences observed between educated and uneducated NK cells, and show that NKG2A-educated NK cells remain more functionally competent than KIR-educated NK cells when oxidative phosphorylation is restricted. Understanding metabolic programming during NK cell education may unveil future targets to manipulate NK cell function for use in clinical settings, such as cancer therapies.

U2 - 10.3389/fimmu.2020.559576

DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2020.559576

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 33101277

VL - 11

JO - FRONT IMMUNOL

JF - FRONT IMMUNOL

SN - 1664-3224

M1 - 559576

ER -