Invariant Vα14 natural killer T cell activation by edible mushroom acidic glycosphingolipids

Abstract

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells regulate multi-immune response through Th1/Th2 cytokine release triggered by the recognition of CD1d-restricted glycosphingolipid antigens. Here we report that acidic glycosphingolipids (AGLs) of mushroom (Hypsizigus marmoreus and Pleurotus eryngii) presented by murine CD1d-transfected rat basophilic leukocytes induced interleukin-2 (IL-2) release from iNKT hybridoma cells. AGL-1, one of the AGLs, containing mannose at the non-reducing ends, induced CD1d-dependent IL-2 release. Although α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) presented by CD11c-positive cells induced both interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-4 release, all of AGLs presented by CD11c-positive cells and AGL-1 presented by B cells induced IL-4 release from iNKT hybridoma cells. A single intravenous injection of AGLs into B6 mice induced only a little elevation of IL-4 in serum but repeated intravenous injection of AGLs induced prolonged retention of IL-4 in serum; therefore, these results suggested that edible mushroom AGLs might contribute to the retention of immunohomeostasis through the minimum induction of iNKT cell activation in vivo. © 2010 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.