ZNF683/HOBIT mRNA is preferentially expressed in NK cells compared to other human immune cells. During differentiation, ZNF683/HOBIT mRNA increases and accumulates in parallel to the generation of CD56+ NK cells. Interference with ZNF683/HOBIT expression resulted in a substantial reduction of CD56+ NK cells. However, the proportion of IFN-γ-producing cells appeared to be increased upon ZNF683/HOBIT knockdown. These results indicate a key role of ZNF683/HOBIT for the differentiation of the human NK-cell lineage and further suggest a potential negative control on IFN-γ production in more mature human NK cells.
These data were now reported by an international consortium to which Emilio Casanova and Dagmar Stoiber contributed in Trends in Immunology