MOUSE NK1(+) T-CELLS

Mouse NK1(+) T cells constitute a special subset of alpha beta TCR(+) T cells that express natural killer surface receptors and are thought to play an immunoregulatory role because of their unique ability to se crete IL-4 within minutes of primary activation. The recent discovery that they recognize non-polymorphic MHC class 1 like ligands encoded b y CD1 family genes sheds a new light on unusual aspects of their devel opment as well as on some of the possible ways in which they might inf luence the regulation of the T-helper cell (types 1 and 2) classes of immune responses.