Class I MHC-binding characteristics of the 129/J Ly49 repertoire

The Ly49 family of NK cell receptors and its MHC-binding characteristics have only been well characterized in C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Previous studies have shown that 129/J mice express unique Ly49 genes that are not found in the B6 strain. Screening of a 129/J cDNA library led to the discovery of 10 distinct full-length Ly49-related coding sequences (Ly49e, g, i, o, p, r, s, t, u, and v). Although 129/J mice share identical class I MHC (K(b) and D(b)) transcripts with B6 mice, only one Ly49 is identical in the two strains (Ly49E). In addition to the previously characterized Ly49P, two new activating Ly49 proteins were discovered, Ly49R and U. The MHC specificity of the total 129/J Ly49 repertoire was evaluated with soluble class I MHC tetramers and found to be distinct compared with the B6 Ly49 repertoire. Ly49V bound to many types of class I MHC, suggesting that Ly49V(+) NK cells may monitor host cells for a global down-regulation in MHC levels. An activating receptor, Ly49R, was shown to bind soluble class I molecules to a moderate degree, a result not previously observed for other activating Ly49 proteins. Furthermore, tetramer-binding results were confirmed functionally with cytotoxicity assays using sorted 129/J NK cells. This study shows that the Ly49 repertoire and its MHC-binding characteristics can be very different among inbred mouse strains. Ly49 divergence should be considered when using 129-derived embryonic stem cells for the production of gene-targeted mice, especially when an immune or NK-derived phenotype is under scrutiny.