Immune functions encoded by the natural killer gene complex

• Published in: Nature reviews. Immunology Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 304 - 316
• Main Authors: Yokoyama, Wayne M, Plougastel, Beatrice F. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.04.2003
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Calcium channels (C-type); Cell interactions; Cell recognition; Cells; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity; Divergence; Evolution, Molecular; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Humans; Immune response; Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif; Innate immunity; Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Kinases; Ligands; Ly-49 antigen; Major histocompatibility complex; Mice; Models, Immunological; Molecular Sequence Data; Monoclonal antibodies; Multigene Family; Natural killer cells; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - immunology; Phenotypes; Phosphatase; Polymorphism, Genetic; Proteins; Receptor mechanisms; Receptors, Immunologic - chemistry; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - physiology; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Tumors; Tyrosine; Virus Diseases - genetics; Virus Diseases - immunology
• ISSN: 1474-1733; 1474-1741
• DOI: 10.1038/nri1055

There has been marked progress in our understanding of the role of natural killer (NK) cells in immune responses, mainly due to the identification of NK-cell receptors and their ligands. The genes encoding many NK-cell receptors are located in the NK-gene complex (NKC). Here, we review the properties of NKC-encoded receptors, and provide a genomic and conceptual framework for an insight into NK-cell function and biology.