Cohen, Nadia R.Brennan, PatrickShay, TalWatts, GeraldBrigl, ManfredKang, JoonsooBrenner, Michael2014-03-102013Cohen, Nadia R., Patrick J. Brennan, Tal Shay, Gerald F. Watts, Manfred Brigl, Joonsoo Kang, and Michael B. Brenner. 2013. “Shared and distinct transcriptional programs underlie the hybrid nature of iNKT cells.” Nature immunology 14 (1): 90-99. doi:10.1038/ni.2490. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ni.2490.1529-2908http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11877145Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that act as critical regulators of the immune response. To better characterize this population, we profiled iNKT cell gene expression during ontogeny and in peripheral subsets as part of the Immunological Genome Project (ImmGen). High-resolution comparative transcriptional analyses defined developmental and subset-specific iNKT cell gene expression programs. In addition, iNKT cells were found to share an extensive transcriptional program with natural killer (NK) cells, similar in magnitude to that shared with major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted T cells. Strikingly, the NK- iNKT program also operated constitutively in γδT cells and in adaptive T cells following activation. Together, our findings highlight a core effector program regulated distinctly in innate and adaptive lymphocytes.en-USJournal Article2014-03-1010.1038/ni.2490