MR1-Restricted T Cells with MAIT-like Characteristics Are Functionally Conserved in the Pteropid Bat Pteropus alecto

• Published in: iScience Vol. 23; no. 12; p. 101876
• Main Authors: Leeansyah, Edwin, Hey, Ying Ying, Sia, Wan Rong, Ng, Justin Han Jia, Gulam, Muhammad Yaaseen, Boulouis, Caroline, Zhu, Feng, Ahn, Matae, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Fairlie, David P., Kwa, Andrea Lay Hoon, Sandberg, Johan K., Wang, Lin-Fa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 18.12.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Components of the Immune Systems; Immunology; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Biological Sciences; Components of the Immune Systems; Immunology
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101876

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. [Display omitted] •MR1T cells are present in Pa bats and react to MR1-presented microbial metabolites•Pa MR1T cells upregulate Prf and MAIT-associated TFs upon culture with MR1 agonists•Upon stimulation, Pa MR1T cells rapidly and transiently express TNF and IL-17•Pa MR1T cells kill E. coli and MR1 agonist-pulsed cells in an MR1-dependent manner Biological Sciences; Immunology; Components of the Immune Systems