Molecular analyses of the interactions between human NK receptors and their HLA ligands.
NK cell cytotoxicity is regulated by the action of multiple families of receptors. The interactions of these receptors with their ligands control different activating/inhibiting signal pathways and it is the balance of these signals which determines the behavior of the NK cell. The major described inhibitory pathways begin either with the recognition of a target cell classical class I HLA molecule by a killer cell immunologlobulin-like receptor (KIR) or the binding of the non-classical class I molecule HLA-E to the CD94/NKG2-A heterodimer. Activating counterparts to these inhibitory NK receptors have also been described and this review focuses on the molecular details of the binding of the inhibitory and activating receptors to their HLA ligands.
Valés-Gómez
M
M
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Reyburn
H
H
Strominger
J
J
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D015398:Signal Transduction
D015703:Antigens, CD; D006680:HLA Antigens; C527054:KLRC1 protein, human; C497869:KLRD1 protein, human; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell