title: Killer immunoglobulin-like receptor expression on single cells: a cautionary note.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells keep the surface expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules under surveillance using killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). Virus-infected or aberrant cells are frequently characterized by a reduced surface expression of MHC class I antigens and may therefore be removed by cytolysis. NK cells are heterogeneous with regard to the expression of KIR genes. The resulting subpopulations show distinguishable specificities allowing the recognition of cells lacking varying combinations of MHC class I antigens. The KIR expression pattern in single NK cells has previously been analyzed by Husain and colleagues by cDNA preamplification of CD3- CD56+ single cells and subsequent gene-specific polymerase chain reaction. We show here that the data of this study contain inconsistencies. These inconsistencies are discussed in the context of KIR mRNA abundance and single-cell cDNA amplification efficiency.
authors: Britta
authors: B
authors: Radeloff
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Laun
authors: Maja
authors: M
authors: Zirra
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Volz
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000276:immunology; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D004270:DNA, Circular; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic