Adipocyte IL-15 Regulates Natural Killer Cell Development

• Main Authors: Liou, Yae-Huei, 劉雅惠
• Other Authors: Liao, Nan-Shih
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/34942453344463481354

博士 === 國防醫學院 === 生命科學研究所 === 102 === Natural killer (NK) cell development and homeostasis require interleukin 15 (IL-15) produced by both hematopoietic and parenchymal cells. Certain hematopoietic IL-15 sources, such as macrophage and dendritic cell, are known, while the source of parenchymal IL-15 remains elusive. Using two types of adipocyte-specific Il15-/- mice, we identified adipocytes as a parenchymal IL-15 source that supported NK cell development non-redundantly. Both adipocyte-specific Il15-/- mice showed reduced IL-15 production specifically in the adipose tissue, but impaired NK cell development in the spleen and liver in addition to the adipose tissue. We also found that the adipose tissue harbored NK progenitors as other niches for NK cell development, and that NK cells derived from transplanted adipose tissue populated the recipient’s spleen and liver. These findings suggest that adipocyte IL-15 contributes to systemic NK cell development by supporting NK cell development in the adipose tissue, which serves as a source of NK cell for other organs.