The NKG2D receptor and its ligands-recognition beyond the "missing self"?
NKG2D is a surface receptor that activates natural killer (NK) cells and delivers a co-stimulatory signal to CD8-positive T cells. The ligands of NKG2D are induced by cellular stress and are specifically expressed by some tumor cells. This sparked the idea of an alternative regulation of NK cells by expression of "induced self" ligands on target cells which can overcome the inhibition imparted by MHC class I-specific inhibitory receptors.
Watzl
Carsten
C
Institute for Immunology, University of Heidelberg, INF 305, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. carsten.Watzl@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D015398:Signal Transduction
C527085:KLRK1 protein, human; C527086:Klrk1 protein, mouse; D008024:Ligands; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell