{
  "abstract": "Most studies of CD1d-restricted natural killer T cells (NKT) have focused on type I TRAV10-TRAJ18 ⁺ NKT cells that recognise the glycolipid α-GalCer. Our understanding of type II NKT cells, their T cell receptor (TCR) gene usage, and their ligand specificity and diversity remains unclear. Here, using CD1d tetramers carrying diverse endogenous lipids (CD1d-endo), we identified public human TRAV26 ⁺ type II NKT TCRs present in all examined individuals, with many expressing a conserved TRAV26-2-TRAJ48 TCRα chain. Cellular, molecular and lipidomic analyses showed that TRAV26 ⁺ TCRs bound with similar affinities to CD1d loaded with diverse lipids, suggesting lipid-independent binding. Crystal structures of TRAV26 ⁺ TCR-CD1d complexes suggested these TCRs bound solely to the A’-roof of CD1d, distal to the protruding lipid. Collectively, we have uncovered a population of public lipid-independent TRAV26 ⁺ type II NKT cells.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 18,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Kean Chan Yew Poa",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4090-9561"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christopher M. Harpur",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3238-9861"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tan-Yun Cheng"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elena Batleska"
    },
    {
      "name": "Catriona V. Nguyen-Robertson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rajesh Lamichhane"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alison A. White",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-4733-7152"
    },
    {
      "name": "Geovane Marques-Ferreira"
    },
    {
      "name": "Caroline Soliman",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2714-5341"
    },
    {
      "name": "Scott JJ Reddiex"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christopher Menne",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2211-8766"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adam P. Uldrich",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6350-5976"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Branch Moody"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jamie Rossjohn",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2020-7522"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dale I. Godfrey",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3009-5472"
    },
    {
      "name": "Daniel G. Pellicci",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5305-2398"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jérôme Le Nours",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2221-7636"
    },
    {
      "name": "Catarina F. Almeida",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3393-4411"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1r7108ft574yk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-78124-5",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1r7108ft574yk",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78124-5",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220866866",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78124-5_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1r7108ft574yk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:38Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41467-026-78124-5",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78124-5"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A public human population of TRAV26+ type II natural killer T cells recognises CD1d in a lipid-independent manner",
  "title_text": "A public human population of TRAV26+ type II natural killer T cells recognises CD1d in a lipid-independent manner",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:38Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1r7108ft574yk",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}