title: Suppressing the killer instinct.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that have adopted activating and inhibitory signaling mechanisms enabling them to be tolerant of normal cells but to distinguish and eliminate tumor cells and virus-infected cells. In this issue of Science Signaling, Matalon et al show how inhibitory receptors disrupt NK cell activation by stimulating dephosphorylation of the adaptor protein LAT (linker of activated T cells) and phospholipase C-γ by the phosphatase SHP-1 [Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1], as well as ubiquitylation of LAT by Cbl family E3 ubiquitin ligases.
authors.affiliation: Blood Cell Development and Function Program, Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC), Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. kerry.campbell@fccc.edu.
authors.forename: Kerry S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D007323:Instinct; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology*; D051966:Phospholipase C gamma; D010766:Phosphorylation; D054592:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D054592:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6; D051966:Phospholipase C gamma