The enigma of the natural killer cell

Jenny E. Gumperz & Peter Parham

Departments of Structural Biology and Microbiology & Immunology, Sherman Fairchild Building, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA

Natural killer (NK) cells are controlled by receptors specific for polymorphic determinants of class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The contrasting properties of NK and cytotoxic T cell (CTL) class I receptors provide complementarity in the cytolytic lymphocyte response to viruses, tumours and transplants. Whereas human NK cell class I receptors consist of immunoglobulin domains, their mouse counterparts resemble C-type lee-tins. This difference may reflect the receptors' diverse and rapidly evolving class I ligands.

References

1.	Sprent, J. in Fundamental Immunology (ed. Paul, W. E.) 75−109 (Raven, New York. 1993).
2.	Trinchieri, G. Adv. Immun. 47, 187−386 (1989). | PubMed | ChemPort |
3.	Townsend, A. & Bodmer, H. A. Rev. Immun. 7, 601−624 (1989). | ChemPort |
4.	Welsh, R. M. Nat. Immun. Cell Growth Reg. 5, 169−199 (1986). | ChemPort |
5.	Yu, Y. Y., Kumar, V. & Bennett, M. A. Rev. Immun. 10, 189−213 (1992). | ChemPort |
6.	Herberman, R. B. & Ortaldo, J. R. Science 214, 24−30 (1981). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
7.	Barber, L. & Parham, P. A. Rev. Cell Biol. 9, 163−206 (1993). | ChemPort |
8.	Herberman, R. B., Reynolds, C. W. & Ortaldo, J. R. A. Rev. Immun. 4, 651−680 (1986). | ChemPort |
9.	Sanchez, M. J., Spits, H., Lanier, L. L. & Phillips, J. H. J. exp. Med. 178, 1857−1866 (1993). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
10.	Sanchez, M. J. et al. J. exp. Med. 180, 569−576 (1994). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
11.	Lanier, L. L. et al. J. Immun. 137, 2735−2739 (1986). | PubMed | ChemPort |
12.	Kärre, K., Ljunggren, H. G., Piontek, G. & Kiessling, R. Nature 319, 675−678 (1986). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
13.	Davis, M. M. & Bjorkman, P. J. Nature 334, 395−401 (1988). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
14.	Bjorkman, P. J. & Parham, P. A. Rev. Biochem. 59, 253−288 (1990). | Article | ChemPort |
15.	Herberman, R. B. & Ortaldo, J. R. A. Rev. Immun. 2, 359−394 (1984). | Article | ISI | ChemPort |
16.	Trinchieri, G. J. exp. Med. 180, 417−421 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
17.	Liao, N. S., Bix, M., Zijlstra, M., Jaenisch, R. & Raulet, D. Science 253, 199−202 (1991). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
18.	Bix, M. et al. Nature 349, 329−331 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
19.	Shimizu, Y. & DeMars, R. Eur. J. Immun. 19, 447−451 (1989). | ChemPort |
20.	Storkus, W. et al. J. Immun. 143, 3853−3857 (1989). | PubMed | ChemPort |
21.	Storkus, W. J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 5989−5992 (1991). | ChemPort |
22.	Ciccone, E. et al. J. exp. Med. 172, 47−52 (1990). | PubMed | ChemPort |
23.	Litwin, V. et al. J. exp. Med. 178, 1321−1336 (1993). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
24.	Colonna, M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 7983−7985 (1992). | ChemPort |
25.	Colonna, M. et al. Science 260, 1121−1124 (1993). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
26.	Wan, A. M., Ennis, P., Parham, P. & Holmes, N. J. Immun. 137, 3671−3674 (1986). | PubMed | ChemPort |
27.	Gumperz, J. E. et al. J. exp. Med. 181, 1133−1144 (1995). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
28.	Cella, M. et al. J. exp. Med. 180, 1235−1242 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
29.	Ciccone, E. et al. J. exp. Med. 175, 709−718 (1992). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
30.	Karlhofer, F. M., Ribaudo, R. K. & Yokoyama, W. M. Nature 358, 66−70 (1992). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
31.	Vaage, J. T. et al. J. exp. Med. 180, 641−651 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
32.	Rolstad, B., Wonigeit, K. & Vaage, J. T. in Natural Immunity to Normal Hemopoietic Cells (ed. Rolstad, B.) 99−149 (CRC, Boca Raton, FL, 1994). | ChemPort |
33.	Sentman, C. L. et al. J. Immun. 153, 5482−5490 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
34.	Burmeister, W. P., Huber, A. H. & Bjorkman, P. J. Nature 372, 379−383 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
35.	Jardetzky, T. S. et al. Nature 368, 711−718 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
36.	Daniels, B. F. et al. J. exp. Med. 180, 687−692 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
37.	Kane, K. P. J. exp. Med. 179, 1011−1015 (1994). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
38.	Yokoyama, W. M. & Seaman, W. E. A. Rev. Immun. 11, 613−635 (1993). | ChemPort |
39.	Yokoyama, W., Kehn, P., Cohen, D. & Shevach, E. J. Immun. 145, 2353−2358 (1990). | PubMed | ChemPort |
40.	Wong, S. et al. J. Immun. 147, 1417−1423 (1991). | PubMed | ChemPort |
41.	Smith, H. R., Karlhofer, F. M. & Yokoyama, W. M. J. Immun. 153, 1068−1079 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
42.	Sentman, C. L., Hackett, J. Jr, Kumar, V. & Bennett, M. J. exp. Med. 170, 191−202 (1989). | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
43.	Brennan, J., Mager, D., Jeffries, W. & Takei, F. J. exp. Med. 180, 2287−2295 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
44.	Yokoyama, W. et al. J. Immun. 143, 1379−1386 (1989). | PubMed | ChemPort |
45.	Chambers, W. H., Adamkiewicz, T. & Houchins, J. P. Glycobiology 3, 9−14 (1993). | PubMed | ChemPort |
46.	Drickamer, K. Prog. nucleic Acid Res. molec. Biol. 45, 207−232 (1993). | ChemPort |
47.	Daniels, B. F. et al. Immunity 1, 785−792 (1995).
48.	Yokoyama, W. M. et al. J. Immun. 147, 3229−3236 (1991). | PubMed | ChemPort |
49.	Scalzo, A. A. et al. J. Immun. 149, 581−589 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
50.	Giorda, R. et al. Science 249, 1298−1300 (1990). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
51.	Ryan, J. C. et al. J. Immun. 147, 3244−3250 (1991). | PubMed | ChemPort |
52.	Bezouska, K. et al. J. biol. Chem. 269, 16945−16952 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
53.	Bezouska, K. et al. Nature 372, 150−157 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
54.	Giorda, R., Weisberg, E. P., Ip, T. K. & Trucco, M. J. Immun. 149, 1957−1963 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
55.	Ryan, J. C. et al. J. Immun. 149, 1631−1635 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
56.	Ziegler, S. F. et al. J. Immun. 152, 1228−1236 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
57.	Yabe, T. et al. Immunogenetics 37, 455−460 (1993). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
58.	Lanier, L. L., Chang, C. & Phillips, J. H. J. Immun. 153, 2417−2428 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
59.	Lopez-Cabrera, M. et al. J. exp. Med. 178, 537−547 (1993). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
60.	Chang, C. et al. Eur. Immun. (in the press).
61.	Houchins, J. P., Yabe, T., McSherry, C. & Bach, F. H. J. exp. Med. 173, 1017−1020 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
62.	Adamkiewicz, T. V. et al. Immunogenetics 39, 218 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
63.	Moretta, A. et al. J. exp. Med. 172, 1589−1598 (1990). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
64.	Moretta, A. et al. J. exp. Med. 171, 695−714 (1990). | PubMed | ChemPort |
65.	Litwin, V. et al. J. exp. Med. 180, 537−543 (1994). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
66.	Melero, I. et al. J. Immun. 152, 1662−1673 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
67.	Moretta, A. et al. J. exp. Med. 178, 597−604 (1993). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
68.	Wagtman, N. et al. Immunity 2, 439−449 (1995). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
69.	Colonna, M. & Samaridis, J. Science 268, 405−408 (1995). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
70.	D'Andrea, A. et al. J. Immun. 155, 2306−2310 (1995). | PubMed |
71.	Lanier, L. L. et al. J. Immun. 154, 3320−3327 (1995). | PubMed | ChemPort |
72.	Versteeg, R. Immun. Today 13, 244−247 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
73.	Barinaga, M. Science 268, 367−368 (1995). | PubMed | ChemPort |
74.	Rogers, J. H. EMBO J. 4, 749−753 (1985). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
75.	Parham, P. Semin. Immun. 6, 373−382 (1994). | ChemPort |
76.	Watkins, D. I. in Critical Reviews in Immunology (ed. Atassi, Z.) (CRC) (in the press).
77.	Correa, I., Corral, L. & Raulet, D. H. Eur. J. Immun. 24, 1323−1331 (1994). | ChemPort |
78.	Kaufman, D. S., Schoon, R. A. & Leibson, P. J. J. Immun. 150, 1429−1436 (1993). | PubMed | ChemPort |
79.	Kaufman, D. S. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.SA. 92, 6484−6488 (1995). | ChemPort |
80.	Phillips, J. H., Gumperz, J. E., Parham, P. & Lanier, L. L. Science 268, 403−405 (1995). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
81.	Ferrini, S. et al. Eur. J. Immun. 24, 2294−2298 (1994). | ChemPort |
82.	Yu, Y. Y. et al. Int. Immun. 6, 1297−1306 (1994). | PubMed | ChemPort |
83.	Ljunggren, H. G. & Kärre, K. Immun. Today 11, 237−244 (1990). | PubMed | ChemPort |
84.	Öhlen, C. et al. Science 246, 666−668 (1989). | PubMed | ChemPort |
85.	Olsson, M., Kärre, K. & Sentman, C. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 1649−1653 (1995). | ChemPort |
86.	Kindt, T. J. & Singer, D. S. Immun. Res. 6, 57−66 (1987). | ChemPort |
87.	Delarbre, C., Jaulin, C., Kourilsky, P. & Gachelin, G. Immunogenetics 37, 29−38 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
88.	Parham, P., Adams, E. J. & Arnett, K. L. Immun. Rev. 143, 141−180 (1995). | PubMed | ChemPort |
89.	Hughes, A. L. & Nei, M. Nature 335, 167−170 (1988). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
90.	Bjorkman, P. J. et al. Nature 329, 506−512 (1987). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |