Commitment to the NKT cell lineage occurs at the CD4- and CD8-positive (DP) thymocyte stage4–7 whence self-lipid(s) bound CD1d/NKT TCR8–11 and homotypic/heterotypic SLAM-SLAM12,13 interactions lead to downstream PKCθ-NFκB14, NFAT-Egr215–17, and SAP-Fyn12,13,18 activation, which turns-on a unique transcriptional programming mediated by the Zbtb16-encoded master transcription factor PLZF (pro-myelocytic leukaemia zinc finger). This evidence concerns the gene ZBTB16 and myeloid leukemia.