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Kermani NZ, None , Song WJ, Badi Y, Versi A, Guo Y, Sun K, Bhavsar P, Howarth P, Dahlen SE, Sterk PJ, Djukanovic R, Adcock IM, Chung KF
Respir Res 22 (1) 101876 [2021-01-07; online 2021-01-07]
Bats are reservoirs for a large number of viruses which have potential to cause major human disease outbreaks, including the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Major efforts are underway to understand bat immune response to viruses, whereas much less is known about their immune responses to bacteria. In this study, MR1-restricted T (MR1T) cells were detected through the use of MR1 tetramers in circulation and tissues of Pteropus alecto (Pa) bats. Pa MR1T cells exhibited weak responses to MR1-presented microbial metabolites at resting state. However, following priming with MR1-presented agonist they proliferated, upregulated critical transcription factors and cytolytic proteins, and gained transient expression of Th1/17-related cytokines and antibacterial cytotoxicity. Collectively, these findings show that the Pa bat immune system encompasses an abundant and functionally conserved population of MR1T cells with mucosal-associated invariant T-like characteristics, suggesting that MR1 and MR1T cells also play a significant role in bat immune defense.
PubMed 33344919
DOI 10.1186/s12931-020-01605-8
Crossref 10.1186/s12931-020-01605-8
NA: Available on request