Hobit confers tissue dependent programs to type 1 innate lymphoid cells

Innate responses against viral infection and other intracellular pathogens rely on immune cells that are capable of lysing infected cells and producing interferon-gamma (IFNγ). These cells encompass two major cell lineages: natural killer (NK) cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s). While NK cells have been extensively characterized, identification of ILC1s and their distinction from NK cells is less clear. The transcription factor Hobit encoded by Zfp683 has been put forth as a prototypic feature of ILC1s. By analyzing Zfp683 reporter, fate-map and deficient mice, we demonstrate that the impact of Hobit on ILC1 identity, transcriptional and functional programs is tissue- and context-dependent. Thus, ILC1s functionally adapt to local stimuli and tailor their responses to the tissue niche. single cell transcriptional profiling of ILC1 and NK cells from various tissues was performed using the 10x Genomics platform