Exploring the organ specific expression pattern of CD4+iNKT1 cells of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice.

iNKT cells are generated in thymus and settle all organs and tissues in mice. We used RNA high throughput sequencing to identify genes that displayed an organ specific expression by comparing iNKT1 cells of thymus, liver, blood, and spleen origin, respectively. We observed organ specific expression of a variety of genes that might reflect specialized functional adaptations connected to the unique micro-environments of the investigated organs. CD4+CXCR3+iNKT1 cells were sorted out of CD3+tetramer+DAPI-B220-CD138- lymphocytes by flow cytometry (blood, liver, spleen). For thymus, CD122 was used instead of CXCR3 and CD138 was not included as a negative marker in order to obtain CD4+iNKT1 cells.