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Diversification of both KIR and NKG 2 natural killer cell receptor genes in macaques – implications for highly complex MHC ‐dependent regulation of natural killer cells
Author(s) -
Walter Lutz,
Petersen Beatrix
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/imm.12666
Subject(s) - receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , diversification (marketing strategy) , gene , cell , genetics , business , marketing
Summary The killer immunoglobulin‐like receptors ( KIR ) as well as their MHC class I ligands display enormous genetic diversity and polymorphism in macaque species. Signals resulting from interaction between KIR or CD 94/ NKG 2 receptors and their cognate MHC class I proteins essentially regulate the activity of natural killer ( NK ) cells. Macaque and human KIR share many features, such as clonal expression patterns, gene copy number variations, specificity for particular MHC class I allotypes, or epistasis between KIR and MHC class I genes that influence susceptibility and resistance to immunodeficiency virus infection. In this review article we also annotated publicly available rhesus macaque BAC clone sequences and provide the first description of the CD 94– NKG 2 genomic region. Besides the presence of genes that are orthologous to human NKG 2A and NKG 2F , this region contains three NKG 2C paralogues. Hence, the genome of rhesus macaques contains moderately expanded and diversified NKG 2 genes in addition to highly diversified KIR genes. The presence of two diversified NK cell receptor families in one species has not been described before and is expected to require a complex MHC ‐dependent regulation of NK cells.