title: The role of zinc in the binding of killer cell Ig-like receptors to class I MHC proteins.
abstract: The binding of killer cell Ig-like Receptors (KIR) to their Class I MHC ligands was shown previously to be characterized by extremely rapid association and dissociation rate constants. During experiments to investigate the biochemistry of receptor-ligand binding in more detail, the kinetic parameters of the interaction were observed to alter dramatically in the presence of Zn(2+) but not other divalent cations. The basis of this phenomenon is Zn(2+)-induced multimerization of the KIR molecules as demonstrated by BIAcore, analytical ultracentrifugation, and chemical cross-linking experiments. Zn(2+)-dependent multimerization of KIR may be critical for formation of the clusters of KIR and HLA-C molecules, the "natural killer (NK) cell immune synapse," observed at the site of contact between the NK cell and target cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valés-Gómez
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Erskine
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Deacon
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Strominger
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Reyburn
mesh_terms: D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008274:Magnesium / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D015032:Zinc / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc