Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
GABAergic signaling in human and murine NK cells upon challenge with Toxoplasma gondii
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7116-0939
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute.
Show others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: Journal of Leukocyte Biology, ISSN 0741-5400, E-ISSN 1938-3673, Vol. 110, no 4, p. 617-628Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Protective cytotoxic and proinflammatory cytokine responses by NK cells impact the outcome of infections by Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite in humans and other vertebrates. However, T. gondii can also sequester within NK cells and downmodulate their effector functions. Recently, the implication of GABA signaling in infection and inflammation-related responses of mononuclear phagocytes and T cells has become evident. Yet, the role of GABAergic signaling in NK cells has remained unknown. Here, we report that human and murine NK cells synthesize and secrete GABA in response to infection challenge. Parasitized NK cells secreted GABA, whereas activation stimuli, such as IL-12/IL-18 or parasite lysates, failed to induce GABA secretion. GABA secretion by NK cells was associated to a transcriptional up-regulation of GABA synthesis enzymes (glutamate decarboxylases [GAD65/67]) and was abrogated by GAD inhibition. Further, NK cells expressed GABA-A receptor subunits and GABA signaling regulators, with transcriptional modulations taking place upon challenge with T. gondii. Exogenous GABA and GABA-containing supernatants from parasitized dendritic cells (DCs) impacted NK cell function by reducing the degranulation and cytotoxicity of NK cells. Conversely, GABA-containing supernatants from NK cells enhanced the migratory responses of parasitized DCs. This enhanced DC migration was abolished by GABA-A receptor antagonism or GAD inhibition and was reconstituted by exogenous GABA. Jointly, the data show that NK cells are GABAergic cells and that GABA hampers NK cell cytotoxicity in vitro. We hypothesize that GABA secreted by parasitized immune cells modulates the immune responses to T. gondii infection.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. Vol. 110, no 4, p. 617-628
Keywords [en]
Apicomplexa, cell migration, GABA-Areceptor, Host-pathogen, immunomodulation, Lymphocyte, neurotransmitter
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-195877DOI: 10.1002/JLB.3HI0720-431RISI: 000653260100001PubMedID: 34028876OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-195877DiVA, id: diva2:1588193
Available from: 2021-08-26 Created: 2021-08-26 Last updated: 2022-02-25Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMed

Authority records

Bhandage, Amol K.Kanatani, SachieBarragan, Antonio

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Bhandage, Amol K.Kanatani, SachieBarragan, Antonio
By organisation
Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute
In the same journal
Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Biological Sciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 45 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf