NKT-10 cells represent a novel invariant NKT cell subset with regulatory characteristics

We compared splenic Va14i NKT cells from C57BL/6 control mice and from mice injected 4 weeks earlier intravenously with 4ug/mouse of the iNKT cell antigen alpha-galactosylceramide (aGalCer). These mice were either left unstimulated or were stimulated with 1ug/mouse aGalCer i.v.. All mice were female and 8 weeks of age at the beginning of the experiment. Va14i NKT cells were enriched via magnetic selection and cell sorted for TCRb+ CD1d/aGalCer-tetramer+. Total RNA were prepared using a Qiagen RNeasy mini kit. IVT probe generation and hybridization to Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 arrays was carried out by the Veterans Medical Research Foundation GeneChipTM Microarray located at UCSD. Group 1 (Ctr_unstim) = iNKT cells from C57BL/6 control mice and left unstimulated / Group 2 (Ctr_stim) = iNKT cells from C57BL/6 control mice and injected 1h before purification with 1ug aGalCer i.v. / Group 3 (Pre_unstim) = iNKT cells from C57BL/6 mice injected 4weeks earlier with 4ug aGalCer i.v. and left unstimulated / Group 4 (Pre_stim) = iNKT cells from C57BL/6 mice injected 4weeks earlier with 4ug aGalCer i.v. and injected 1h before purification with 1ug aGalCer i.v. / Sample were prepared in duplicates in two independent experiments.