title: Molecular characterization of rat NKR-P2, a lectin-like receptor expressed by NK cells and resting T cells.
abstract: The gene for a rat NK lectin-like receptor (NKLLR), named NKR-P2, has been cloned and characterized. Sequence analysis shows that it represents the orthologue of human NKG2D and that the two molecules form a distinct NKLLR family, no more related to NKG2A/B, -C or -E than to other NKLLR families. Nkrp2 is a single-copy gene containing seven introns, mapping to the rat NK gene complex. Rat NKR-P2 differs from the human orthologue in that its cytoplasmic tail contains 13 additional amino acids, encoded by a separate exon. Splice variants lacking this exon were not detected in T cells or NK cells. NKR-P2 is strongly expressed by NK cells. In contrast to other NKLLR, it is also strongly expressed by resting thoracic duct CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, but not by thymocytes or other hemopoietic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dissen
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Westgaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fossum
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons; D007438:Introns; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D037102:Lectins; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; C113208:NKR-P2 protein, rat; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic