Abstract
That NK cell receptors engage fast-evolving MHC class I ligands suggests that they, too, evolve rapidly. To test this hypothesis, the structure and class I specificity of chimpanzee KIR and CD94:NKG2 receptors were determined and compared to their human counterparts. The KIR families are divergent, with only three KIR conserved between chimpanzees and humans. By contrast, CD94:NKG2 receptors are conserved. Whereas receptors for polymorphic class I are divergent, those for nonpolymorphic class I are conserved. Although chimpanzee and human NK cells exhibit identical receptor specificities for MHC-C, they are mediated by nonorthologous KIR. These results demonstrate the rapid evolution of NK cell receptor systems and imply that "catching up" with class I is not the only force driving this evolution.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antigens, CD / chemistry
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Binding Sites, Antibody
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Binding, Competitive / immunology
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Cell Lineage / genetics
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Cell Lineage / immunology
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Clone Cells
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Conserved Sequence
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Evolution, Molecular*
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / metabolism
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Humans
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Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
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Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism*
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Lectins, C-Type*
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Membrane Glycoproteins / antagonists & inhibitors
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Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry
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Molecular Sequence Data
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D
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Pan troglodytes / immunology*
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Receptors, Immunologic / antagonists & inhibitors
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Receptors, Immunologic / biosynthesis
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Receptors, Immunologic / chemistry*
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Receptors, Immunologic / physiology*
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Receptors, KIR
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Receptors, Natural Killer Cell
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Structure-Activity Relationship
Substances
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Antigens, CD
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Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
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KLRC1 protein, human
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KLRD1 protein, human
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Lectins, C-Type
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C
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NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D
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Receptors, Immunologic
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Receptors, KIR
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Receptors, Natural Killer Cell
Associated data
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GENBANK/AF258798
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GENBANK/AF258799
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GENBANK/AF258800
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GENBANK/AF258801
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GENBANK/AF258802
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GENBANK/AF258803
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GENBANK/AF258804
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GENBANK/AF258805
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GENBANK/AF258806
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GENBANK/AF258807
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GENBANK/AF259054
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GENBANK/AF259055
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GENBANK/AF259056
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GENBANK/AF259057
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GENBANK/AF259058
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GENBANK/AF259059
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GENBANK/AF259060
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GENBANK/AF260134