Phenotypic and Functional Characteristics of a Novel Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin-Specific Memory NK Cell.

Jian Zheng, Liyan Wen, Hui-Ling Yen, Ming Liu, Yinping Liu, Ooiean Teng, Wing-Fung Wu, Ke Ni, Kowk-Tai Lam, Chunyu Huang, Jiashuang Yang, Yu-Lung Lau, Stanley Perlman, Malik Peiris, Wenwei Tu

Journal of virology 2021 May 24

filter terms:

Immune memory represents the most efficient defense against invasion and transmission of infectious pathogens. In contrast to memory T and B cells, the roles of innate immunity in recall responses remain inconclusive. In this study, we identified a novel mouse spleen NK cell subset expressing NKp46 and NKG2A induced by intranasal influenza virus infection. These memory NK cells specifically recognize N-linked glycosylation sites on influenza hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Different from memory-like NK cells reported previously, these NKp46+ NKG2A+ memory NK cells exhibited HA-specific silence of cytotoxicity but increase of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) response against influenza virus-infected cells, which could be reversed by pifithrin-μ, a p53-heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) signaling inhibitor. During recall responses, splenic NKp46+ NKG2A+ NK cells were recruited to infected lung and modulated viral clearance of virus and CD8+ T cell distribution, resulting in improved clinical outcomes. This long-lived NK memory bridges innate and adaptive immune memory response and promotes the homeostasis of local environment during recall response.IMPORTANCE In this study, we demonstrate a novel hemagglutinin (HA)-specific NKp46+ NKG2A+ NK cell subset induced by influenza A virus infection. These memory NK cells show virus-specific decreased cytotoxicity and increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) on reencountering the same influenza virus antigen. In addition, they modulate host recall responses and CD8 T cell distribution, thus bridging the innate immune and adaptive immune responses during influenza virus infection. Copyright © 2021 American Society for Microbiology.

Citation

Jian Zheng, Liyan Wen, Hui-Ling Yen, Ming Liu, Yinping Liu, Ooiean Teng, Wing-Fung Wu, Ke Ni, Kowk-Tai Lam, Chunyu Huang, Jiashuang Yang, Yu-Lung Lau, Stanley Perlman, Malik Peiris, Wenwei Tu. Phenotypic and Functional Characteristics of a Novel Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin-Specific Memory NK Cell. Journal of virology. 2021 May 24;95(12)