Cell-autonomous requirement for TCF1 and LEF1 in the development of Natural Killer T cells

• Cell-intrinsic requirement for transcription factor TCF1 for the development of NKT cells.
• TCF1 differentially regulates differentiation and/or survival of NKT cell subsets, NKT1, 2 and 17.

Natural killer T (NKT) cells develop from common CD4+ CD8+ thymocyte precursors. Transcriptional programs that regulate the development of NKT cells in the thymus development remain to be fully delineated. Here, we demonstrate a cell-intrinsic requirement for transcription factors TCF1 and LEF1 for the development of all subsets of NKT cells. Conditional deletion of TCF1 alone results in a substantial reduction in NKT cells. The remaining NKT cells are eliminated when TCF1 and LEF1 are both deleted. These data reveal an essential role for TCF1 and LEF1 in development of NKT cells.