title: CD8 T cells express randomly selected KIRs with distinct specificities compared with NK cells.
abstract: Epistatic interactions between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their cognate HLA class I ligands have important implications for reproductive success, antiviral immunity, susceptibility to autoimmune conditions and cancer, as well as for graft-versus-leukemia reactions in settings of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Although CD8 T cells are known to acquire KIRs when maturing from naive to terminally differentiated cells, little information is available about the constitution of KIR repertoires on human CD8 T cells. Here, we have performed a high-resolution analysis of KIR expression on CD8 T cells. The results show that most CD8 T cells possess a restricted KIR expression pattern, often dominated by a single activating or inhibitory KIR. Furthermore, the expression of KIR, and its modulation of CD8 T-cell function, was independent of expression of self-HLA class I ligands. Finally, despite similarities in the stochastic regulation of KIRs by the bidirectional proximal promoter, the specificity of inhibitory KIRs on CD8 T cells was often distinct from that of natural killer cells in the same individual. The results provide new insight into the formation of KIR repertoires on human T cells.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. niklas.bjorkstrom@ki.se
authors.forename: Niklas K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Björkström
authors.forename: Vivien
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Béziat
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cichocki
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Koup
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Hans-Gustaf
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ljunggren
authors.forename: Karl-Johan
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Malmberg
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases; D008297:Male; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000276:immunology; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D008156:Luciferases