Abstract
Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) mainly reside in tissues with few lymphoid cells. How their tissue residency is regulated remains poorly understood. This study explores the inhibitory role of SLAM-family receptors (SFRs) on adaptive immune cells in ILC2 maintenance. We observed an increase in the population of ILC2s in Rag1-deficient mice. Homotypic engagement of SFRs between ILC2s and adaptive immune cells was identified as a potential mechanism. SFR deficiency led to an increase in ILC2s. Conditional deletion of SFRs on T and/or B cells led to an increased ILC2 abundance. Mechanistically, as ILC precursors differentiate into ILC2s, SFRs, primarily SLAMF3 and SLAMF5, are inhibitory, which impair IL-7-induced PI3K activation and enhance apoptosis via SHP-1. These findings reveal a mechanism by which adaptive immune cells negatively regulate the homeostasis of ILC2s and contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between innate and adaptive immune cells in the regulation of immune responses.