Publication: Expression of the HLA-C2-specific activating killer-cell Ig-like receptor KIR2DS1 on NK and T cells.

Published in: Clinical Immunology, 2010, 135 (1), pp.26-32. ⟨10.1016/j.clim.2009.12.009⟩

Authors: Céline Cognet, Catherine Farnarier, Laurent Gauthier, Coralie Frassati, Pascale André, Aude Magérus-Chatinet, Nicolas Anfossi, Frederic Rieux-Laucat, Eric Vivier, Nicolas Schleinitz

Summary

Killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) are MHC class I-specific receptors expressed by Natural Killer (NK) and T cell subsets. KIRs either inhibit (KIR-L) or activate (KIR-S) lymphocyte functions. Inhibitory KIR2DL1 and activating KIR2DS1 share ligand specificity for the HLA-C2 group, consistent with their almost identical extracytoplasmic domain. This homology hampered the distinction between KIR2DL1 and KIR2DS1. We report here the characterization of the KIR2DS1(+) subsets among primary human NK and T cells. Regardless of the host HLA-C genotype, around 10% of circulating NK cells expressed KIR2DS1 in absence of KIR2DL1. In HLA-C2 individuals, KIR2DS1 was not able to induce NK cell education (i.e., the acquisition of NK cell competence) nor to interfere with KIR2DL1-induced NK cell education. KIR2DS1 was also present on rare oligoclonal TCRalphabeta(+)CD8alpha(+) and TCRalphabeta(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) subsets. As KIR2DS1 has been associated with autoimmunity and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, these results pave the way to dissect the function of KIR2DS1 in these clinical conditions.

Link to HAL – hal-00502997

Link to DOI – 10.1016/j.clim.2009.12.009