title: Identification of NKG2A and NKp80 as specific natural killer cell markers in rhesus and pigtailed monkeys.
abstract: Investigations of natural killer (NK) cells in simian models of disease have been hampered by a lack of appropriate phenotypic markers and by an inadequate understanding of the regulation of NK cell activities. In the present study, a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for various human NK receptors was screened for cross-reactivity with NK cells from rhesus macaques and pigtailed macaques. Flow cytometric analyses using anti-human NKG2A and anti-human NKp80 mAbs individually, and particularly in combination with anti-CD16 mAb, allowed for the identification of the entire NK cell population in both species. NK cells in monkeys were generally identified by negative selection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for the absence of T-cell, B-cell, and monocyte markers. mAb-mediated ligation of NKp80 induced NK cell cytotoxicity, while in the case of NKG2A it displayed a clear capability to inhibit the lysis of target cells by NK cells from macaques, as well as from humans. This new phenotypic and functional characterization of NKG2A and NKp80 in rhesus and pigtailed macaque NK cells provides a new approach in the analysis of their innate immune system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr, Bldg 10, Rm 6A08A, MSC 1576, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. dmavilio@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mavilio
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Marybeth
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daucher
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinter
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nies-Kraske
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marcenaro
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretta
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fauci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008254:Macaca nemestrina; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D010641:Phenotype; D011485:Protein Binding; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; C527054:KLRC1 protein, human; C431711:KLRF1 protein, human; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell