Open AccessIdentification of Human Memory‐Like NK Cells
Author(s) -
Kovalenko Elena I.,
Streltsova Maria A.,
Kanevskiy Leonid M.,
Erokhina Sophia A.,
Telford William G.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
current protocols in cytometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.718
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1934-9300
pISSN - 1934-9297
DOI - 10.1002/cpcy.13
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , human memory , computational biology , computer science , biology , neuroscience , cognition , botany
Our understanding of NK biology is increased dramatically, a product of improved flow‐cytometric techniques for analyzing these cells. NK cells undergo significant changes in repertoire during differentiation. A repeating stimulus, such as a cytomegalovirus infection, may result in accumulation of certain types of highly differentiated NK cells designated as memory‐like, or adaptive NK cells. Adaptive NK cells are capable of rapid expansion and effective response to the recall stimulus. These cells differ significantly from conventional NK cells both functionally and phenotypically. Here we describe an approach for identification and analysis of adaptive NK cells in human peripheral blood. CD57‐positive cells with high expression of activating‐receptor NKG2C, increased expression of KIR receptors, lack of co‐expression with inhibitory receptor NKG2A, and decreased expression of activating receptor NCR3 (NKp30) all characterize this cell type. The flow‐cytometric method described below can identify this NK cell subset on a relatively simple flow cytometer. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.