Presence of a novel subset of NKT cells bearing an invariant Vα19.1–Jα26 TCR α chain

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Abstract
CD1d-deficient (CD1d−/−) mouse lymphocytes were analyzed to classify the natural killer T (NKT) cells without reactivity to CD1d. The cells bearing a Vα19.1–Jα26 (AV19–AJ33) invariant TCR α chain, originally found in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, were demonstrated to be abundant in the NK1.1+ but not NK1.1− T cell population isolated from CD1d−/− mice. Moreover, more than half (11/21) of the hybrid cell lines established from CD1d−/− NKT cells expressed the Vα19.1–Jα26 invariant TCR α chain. The expression of the invariant Vα19.1–Jα26 mRNA was absent in β2-microglobulin-deficient mice. Collectively, the present findings suggest the presence of a second NKT cell repertoire characterized by an invariant TCR α chain (Vα19.1–Jα26) that is selected by an MHC class I-like molecule other than CD1d.