title: The receptors regulating natural cytotoxic effector functions.
abstract: Natural cytotoxic effector functions are regulated by a multitude of opposing signals provided by immunoglobulin and lectin-like functional molecules. While inhibitory receptors possess immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) cytoplasmic sequences recruiting tyrosine phosphatases, activatory receptors require association with accesory immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-bearing molecules. One considerable group of natural cytotoxic cell receptors are specific for classical and non-classical class I antigens and detect both qualitative and quantitative changes in the autologous MHC-I phenotype. Non-MHC-I-specific receptors provide signaling in the absence of MHC-I antigens or in response to not well-known stress-induced antigens. NK cell receptors may equally participate in the regulation of target cell functions through contact or souble mediator-dependent mechanisms. The identification of NK cell regulating molecules has led to the elucidation of more general principles underlying immune homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikolova
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boumsell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bensussan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D054340:Receptors, KIR
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; C105298:LILRA2 protein, human; D037102:Lectins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D054340:Receptors, KIR