title: Natural killer cell responses during viral infections: flexibility  and  conditioning of innate immunity by experience.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells mediate innate defense against viral infections, but the mechanisms in place to access their functions as needed during diverse challenges while limiting collateral damage are poorly understood. Recent molecular characterization of effects mediated through infection-induced inhibitory/activating NK receptor-ligand pairs and cytokines are providing new insights into pathways regulating their responses and revealing unexpected consequences for NK cell subset effects, maintenance, proliferation and function through times overlapping with adaptive and long-lived immunity. The observations define flexible pathways for experience-induced 'conditioning' and challenge narrowly defined roles for NK cells and innate immunity as first responders with prescribed functions. They suggest that individual experiences as well as genes influence the innate immune resources available to fight off an infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. silvia.vidal@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Silvia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Salim I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Khakoo
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Biron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell