Biassoni R, Cantoni C, Marras D, Giron-Michel J, Falco M, Moretta L, Dimasi N. Human natural killer cell receptors: insights into their molecular function and structure.
J Cell Mol Med 2003;
7:376-87. [PMID:
14754506 PMCID:
PMC6740120 DOI:
10.1111/j.1582-4934.2003.tb00240.x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cells express receptors characterized by opposite functions that finely regulate their activities. Among inhibitory receptors, some are specific for different groups of MHC class I alleles, while others are still orphan receptors. On the contrary, various activating receptors are involved in the triggering of NK-mediated natural cytotoxicity. In general, their engagement induces human NK cells to kill target cells that are either HLA class I-negative or -deficient. Thus, the process of NK cell triggering mediated by Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors can be mainly considered as a non MHC-restricted mechanism. Here, a brief description of the molecular nature of these receptors, as well as, of their 3D-structures and of the implications for ligand recognition, is given.
Collapse