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Distinct receptor repertoire formation in mouse NK cell subsets regulated by MHC class I expression
Author(s) -
Hayakawa Yoshihiro,
Watt Sally V.,
Takeda Kazuyoshi,
Smyth Mark J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0707496
Subject(s) - biology , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , mhc class i , major histocompatibility complex , cell , natural killer cell , immunology , cytotoxic t cell , immune system , in vitro , genetics
The acquisition of inhibitory MHC‐specific receptors occurs during NK cell differentiation and has been considered important in regulating NK cell responsiveness. NK cell differentiation has been studied on the basis of cell surface phenotype, function, and proliferative capacity. Together with phenotypically immature Mac‐1 lo NK cells, the mature Mac‐1 hi NK cell pool can be dissected further into two functionally distinct CD27 hi and CD27 lo subsets. Two major inhibitory receptors, CD94/NKG2A and Ly‐49, are expressed on mouse NK cells. The acquisition of the CD94/NKG2A receptor seems to be an early event, whereas Ly‐49 receptor expression is considered a relatively late event during NK cell ontogeny. In this study, we demonstrated a distinct NK cell inhibitory receptor repertoire formation within mature NK cell populations as defined by Mac‐1 and CD27. By analyzing mice deficient in MHC class I expression or NKG2D ligand transgenic mice, we have shown that the inhibitory receptor repertoire can be modulated according to the differentiation/maturation status of NK cells, and the receptor acquisition is imprinted at an early stage of NK cell development by MHC class I interactions.