Variable receptors controlling activation and inhibition of NK cells

• Published in: Current Opinion in Immunology Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 615 - 621
• Main Authors: McQueen, Karina L, Parham, Peter
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2002
• Subjects: activating receptor; Animals; Antigens, Ly - physiology; Antigens, Surface - physiology; diversity; haplotype; Haplotypes; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - metabolism; Humans; inhibitory receptor; innate immunity; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; KIR; Lectins, C-Type - physiology; Ly49; Lymphocyte Activation; major histocompatibility complex (MHC); Natural killer (NK) cell; Neuronal Plasticity; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; NKG2D; Receptors, Immunologic - physiology; Receptors, KIR; Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; Receptors, NK Cell Lectin-Like; inhibitory receptor; haplotype; activating receptor; NKG2D; diversity; Immunology; innate immunity; KIR; Ly49; major histocompatibility complex (MHC); Molecular Medicine; Endocrinology; Natural killer (NK) cell
• ISSN: 0952-7915; 1879-0372
• DOI: 10.1016/S0952-7915(02)00380-1

NK cells are important effector lymphocytes of innate immunity; they kill infected cells and produce cytokines that stimulate other immune effects. Once considered relatively homogeneous, NK cells are now seen to be highly diverse. Within an individual, expression of different combinations of inhibitory and stimulatory receptors creates a diverse NK cell repertoire, which exhibits specificity in the immune response. Rapid evolution of NK cell receptor gene families distinguishes members of a species and causes substantial species-specific differences in NK cell receptor systems. All known ligands for these diverse receptors are MHC class I molecules, or molecules of host or pathogen origin that are homologous to MHC class I. Natural killer cell responses are controlled by inhibitory and stimulatory signals sent by diverse cell-surface receptors, many of which use MHC class I and related molecules as their ligands.