Natural Killer Cell Granule Protein (NKG7) promotes the development of vaccine-induced anti-fungal Th1 cells

Abstract

CD4+ T cells that produce IFN-γ (T helper 1 [Th1] cells) chiefly mediate vaccine acquired resistance to fungal infections. However, the key regulators of the development of Th1 cells and acquired resistance to fungi are incompletely understood. Here, we report that Natural Killer Cell Granule Protein (NKG7) acts as an unappreciated regulator inducing anti-fungal Th1 cells to produce IFN-γ and converting plastic Th17 cells into polyfunctional memory Th1 cells.