title: Mechanisms of NK cell activation: CD4(+) T cells enter the scene.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes involved in immunosurveillance through their cytotoxic activity and their capacity to secrete inflammatory cytokines. NK cell activation is necessary to initiate effector functions and results from a complex series of molecular and cellular events. We review here the signals that trigger NK cells and discuss recent findings showing that, besides antigen-presenting cells, T cells can play a central role in the initiation of NK cell activation in lymph nodes.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, UMR6097, 660, route des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bihl
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luci
authors.forename: Veronique M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Braud
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D018664:Interleukin-12