title: Virus-activated CD8 T cells and lymphokine-activated NK cells express the mast cell function-associated antigen, an inhibitory C-type lectin.
abstract: The mast cell function-associated Ag (MAFA) is an inhibitory C-type lectin that was originally identified on the cell surface of a rat mucosal mast cell line, RBL-2H3. We have cloned the mouse homologue of the rat MAFA gene, and Northern blot analysis revealed that mouse MAFA (mMAFA) gene expression was strongly induced in effector CD8 T cells and lymphokine-activated NK cells but not in effector CD4 T cells and in mouse mast cells. Moreover, mMAFA gene expression was only found in effector CD8 T cells that had been primed in vivo with live virus because in vitro activated CD8 T cells did not express mMAFA. Primary sequence comparison revealed a high degree of conservation (89% similarity) between rat MAFA and mMAFA. Thus, the MAFA molecule in the mouse is a putative inhibitory receptor on anti-viral CD8 T cells induced in vivo and on NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Department of Immunology, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pircher
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D037102:Lectins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000276:immunology*; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: C451496:Klrg1 protein, mouse; C094696:Klrg1 protein, rat; D037102:Lectins; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic